Importance of learning through Games

Nowadays children don’t even know about the joy of playing outdoor games and spend most of the time watching television, playing video games, surfing on smart phones tablets etc. Thus they develop health issues, relationship problems in life and become inactive. If you want to protect your children from disorders such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, take heed and ensure they get adequate physical exercise.

Dr.Vipul Singh says that the lack of outdoor games and activities is a behavioral problem among children that continues till later stages of life.“Now-a-days people in their early twenties and even teenagers are facing behavior problems. This is because playing outdoors in groups helps kids learn the art of coping with winning and losing. If you do not learn this at an early age, you tend to find it difficult to deal with challenging and unfavorable conditions later in life. This leads to stress followed by behavior problems. When you play or exercise, a hormone is secreted from hypothalamus gland in brain which is a mood booster” he said.

Dr. Ashutosh Singh says that growing kids should get physical exercise for at least 45 minutes in a day. Youngsters have a lot of stamina and they need to channelize it into activities. He adds that the main culprit behind kids restricting themselves from playing outdoor is social media. It is important that parents be friendly with their kids and guide them instead of scolding and beating.

Encourage kids to play and enjoy childhood like we did. Children love to participate in various activities, so motivate and inspire them to play outdoor as well as indoor games. Instead of making children engage with TV, YouTube videos, mobile games and so on, get them a few stimulating indoor games, like card games, puzzles, hide and seek, pencil &paper games, word games etc. There are many indoor games which will keep them entertained and also develop their social and mental faculties. Do not forget to encourage children while they are playing.

As parents, you should make sure that your children are exposed to both sides of the world in order to help make them better and well rounded personalities.

School tour in Lemoor...

Zilla Parishad High School Lemoor

ZPHS Lemoor is an Upper Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary School in Lemoor village of Kandukur. The Telugu Medium, coeducational institution was established in the year 1950 and it is managed by a local governing body.

Last Saturday I have visited the government school in Lemoor which is located about 59 kms from Hyderabad. After a long bus ride, followed by a short commute in an auto, I finally reach the school.

It was a real pleasant trip and I loved the green and lush fields on both sides of the road. Anything that takes us away from the horrendous Hyderabad traffic is music to the soul.

I must say I am impressed by the clean premises of the school. It was almost like an extension of the lovely sights I had witnessed during my journey. And the children, neatly dressed and well-attentive, were only too happy and enthusiastic to meet, greet, and interact with me, and participate in my class eagerly.

All in all, it went very well and I’m glad to have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these deserving children.

HYSEA Annual CSR Summit

If there is one event that NGOs and Corp-orates in Hyderabad look forward to, it’s the HYSEA Annual CSR summit. This year, the event took place on 4^th Nov 2015 and evoked the same enthusiasm and participation across diversified fields. As always, our stall attracted the attention of many visitors and participants who appreciated the work we do for the poor and needy children in Government schools.

Here are some of the pictures from the event, let the pictures speak for themselves.

Seen in the above picture is IT Minister for the Telangana State, Mr. KTR who visited all the stalls.

People from different backgrounds had attended the event which helped me learn about their innovation. Being a part of this event was a great experience.

Inspiring young minds: EFF is at it again

EFF team visits rural schools once in three months to check the progress of the students. Volunteers who come from different fields have joined us for this trip – even if it meant applying for leave and staying away from office and family for a day. That’s the kind of passion, and dedication that volunteers show for the EFF program, besides sacrificing their time & energy. For a day, volunteers turned teachers – conducted written tests, classroom games, speaking activities, etc., which gave them a break from their routine lives. Volunteers were extremely happy to give their time to rural children.

Let’s hear their happiness in their own words:

 It was my first visit to ZPHS with the EFF team and I was delighted at the opportunity to meet the students and interact with them. When we reached the school, I found that the students were also equally excited to meet us; they were eagerly waiting to hear from our team. I took classes for students 8th (EM) and 9th (TM) standards. The children were very well mannered and possessed good manners. They had the zeal to learn and improve their English. I conducted several activities to make sure each student was involved in one or the other way. Students enjoyed more in the group activities whereas individual activities boosted their confidence to speak in front of other people. Given the area that they come from and considering the fact that no one in their family is much educated, the children communicate pretty well in English and are working hard to improve further. Some T.Supraja, Rama Devi, G.Anjaneyulu and P.Bhagawan were quick in spelling out a word or in giving their introduction while some others like B.Anusha and A. Shiva Kumar were struggling to complete a single sentence. But all of them wanted to get better and better.

In 9th standard Telugu Medium, students paid full attention to each and every word that I spoke and I told them not to hesitate in asking the meaning of anything that they didn’t understand. They were lacking in good communication in English and were struggling a lot. But they didn’t lack in enthusiasm and willpower to learn more and get better. I explained the meanings to them in Telugu whenever needed. At the end of the day, we distributed books to them for encouragement. It was an exhilarating experience overall and I am looking forward to go on more such visits. Thanks to EFF and Sudha for giving me this opportunity. – V.L.S. Ravi from PurpleTalk

To my surprise, I found that Std 7^th (EM) students were smarter than me. I didn’t feel like leaving the students because they were very active in the class, especially in speaking and in answering the questions. In this class, girls are very smart and courageously coming up to speak and even if they make a mistake they were not afraid to speak; they were very bold and expressive. The students are very good in communication and I was really shocked and pleasantly surprised to see the ZPHS students speaking such decent English; I think it is the hard work of EFF and some generous people who offered this to these students. Thanks to EFF for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. –Ravi kumar from Reserve Bank of India

This was my first trip to this school, so I was excited to meet the children and take classes for them. Though students of Std. 6^th (TM) were very active in the class, they were unable to speak in English and some students don’t even recognize the English alphabet. However, a few of the students were able to read the English alphabet. Most of the students were unable to write a full sentence but they were eager to learn. I think there will be a gradual growth among these students as they seemed to me to be very hard working. I am eagerly waiting for my next visit. – Sravan

This was my second visit to the school and I have enjoyed this visit better than the last one. I was asked to teach 7^th class Telugu medium and 8^th English medium students, where I’ve conducted a few activities like self-introduction, written test, dictation and mind mapping. Some of the boys in the 7^th standard were still struggling with the basics of English and I felt that the teachers have to concentrate on the language more. And in the 8^th standard, girls are more active than boys. A few of the kids in both the classes seem to have a lot of skills but they were feeling shy to come forward and to express their ideas! I hope with a little more encouragement and support, they can perform very well too. What I observed in both the classes is, they showed more interest and enthusiasm when I was teaching them with practical jokes by including them as part of the subject. And those who are passive have become active too and gave a good response, drawing inspiration from the students who came forward to speak. 

It would be better for the students if teachers can guide them in basic dressing etiquette and in matters of physical appearance as well at this stage as it would help them become better citizens in the future. More than the students, as a volunteer I enjoyed the day a lot with their performance. I would love to be a part of more such activities. – Venky  from Reserve Bank of India

Looking at the kind of enthusiastic response from the volunteers and also going by the inspiration they provided to the rural students, we can safely conclude that the event was a huge success. We also feel motivated not only by the participation of volunteers but also by the attitude of the students and, going forward, we would love to conduct more such events. The EFF team thanks all the volunteers for their valuable time, energy and eager participation in this activity, and hopes that the same spirit will be extended towards future events as well.

Happy Teacher's Day

Teachers are everyday heroes who were called on a mission to help the world learn. It requires an enormous amount of inner strength, self-sacrifice and patient listening more than just talking in the class. Teachers dedicate their life to nurturing many lives while handling the hearts and minds of children. As we belong to such a noble profession, we should strive to make this mission one of the most appreciated, respected and supported.

Ours is a culture that places teachers on a pedestal and elevates them to the status of God… which child in India wouldn’t know the concept of “Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheswara, Guru sakshat Parabrahma Tasmaisri Gurave namaha”? Guru or the teacher comes just after the parents and even before the God. That’s the stature that India gives to teachers. Can anyone ever forget legendary teachers like Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (whose birthday is celebrated in the country as the Teachers’ Day) and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam?

It is amazing to note the kind of respect, admiration and selfless love that teachers receive from their students. On this special day, let’s take some time to appreciate the great work done by teachers to shape up the personality and the future of the students under their care. I spoke to a few students to understand what they think about teachers and the Teachers’ Day, which also shows us the positive impact that teachers have on the young minds.

Here’s what students say about teachers:

Teachers are everyday heroes. – Aswitha, 7^th em

Teachers are called the backbone of the society because they highly contribute towards building of our character, and shaping our future. – Kalpana, 9^th em

Teachers really play a key role towards the education and students’ life. – Akhila, 9^th em

Teaching profession is a great job. – Bharath, 9^th em

A good teacher is a great gift to nation. – B. Anjaneyalu, 9^th em

While the mother gives birth to a child, it’s the teachers who give education and life. – C. Akhil, 9^th 

Students should honor teachers for their selfless effort in shaping the career and enriching the education system all over the country. – G. Premala, 9^th em

Today’s students are tomorrow’s citizens only because of the efforts of teachers. – Vishnu Vardhan, 

 If there is no teacher, there is no education. – Akhil, 9^th tm

Achievement of Education for all

It’s a known fact that peasants in the country are facing many problems since ages, they are in debts, can’t repay the loans, interest on the taken loans growing day by day and much more. Hopeless peasants are committing suicide and others are migrating in search of work. The migrant labours are mostly employed in construction work. According to 2010 census, there are 29.8% population living with less than $1.25 wage per day.

Children of laborers:

There is a saying - ‘doctor child becomes a doctor, actor child becomes an actor and a labor child will become a labor’. The kid of a laborer is exposed to sand and cement at an early age, as their parents accompany their children to the work place. As a result, these kids get used to construction work environment, which in turn leads them to future labours at early teens. Some elder kids stay at home to take care of their younger siblings and doing household chores.

Considering some sample families of migrant labours - a 2 dozen families live in a tin shed dwelling near Hitech city, Hyderabad. The sheds were laid by a construction group as temporary shelter for the labourers. People in this community range from North to South of India who came to Hyderabad in search of work. Kids of these people are out of school; they’re spending their childhood on the roads or doing household chores. When I approached their parents, I realised that some parents want their children to support the family by doing the same labour work.

Last from right is Bittu of 10 years old. 

They are migrants from MP state. Bittu’s parents are labours, they go to work at 8am and return at 5pm. Meanwhile, he looks after his two siblings of age 5 years and 2 years. He also cooks, washes utensils, cleans the house etc. However, he never been to school; his parents are not interested to send him school.

 But there are some parents want to send their kids to school; they want to give their children good quality of living. It’s really good to see a positive mindset in few parents though.

 From first left is Yasmine, age 10 years. 

She is a school dropout and a single parent. I urged and guided her mother to give her child good education she deserves. She came forward to join her girl in the school.

‘The New Blue Dress’, a beautiful story of a pretty girl who inspires everyone in her community. Similarly, Yasmine, inspired other kids in the neighbourhood. Two more kids have joined the school with little guidance and information provided by us.

Government is pumping a lot funds through a number of schemes for educating the kids under RTE. Most the people in the country are unaware of the benefits they deserve. It’s the duty of every responsible citizen, that if they encounter any boy or girl out of school approach their parents and tell them the benefits of going to school. With little research give some list of schools nearby. It might inspire them; perhaps they will send the child to school. It’ll cost some productive time of your daily schedule, but you can make a difference in the lives of the little buds of our nation. 

We need to inspire and stimulate the parents of  so many Bittu's in this world. I agree, there are some NGO's working towards it. But it's the part of every citizen to work towards the achievement of Education for all*

Milestone in the schooling segment – the Tenth std.

‘SSC’ the other name of Tenth std. in A.P., India

Schooling is an important phase in an individual’s life. You can play, enjoy, and have fun along with studies in this period. However, things are not the same always; you have to really slog it out towards the end of the segment, viz in tenth std.  “Tenth std (SSC) is the turning point in your life, you have to cut down on your recreations and devote 100% time to studies.”, say parents in a strict tone. At school, SSC students don’t have games/pt period. They won’t take part in cultural activities; “if they participate in all the cultural programmes like dance, drama/skit, singing etc, their precious time will be wasted, so, it’s better to curb all entertainment for SSC students”, assert the teachers.  Some crazy parents challenge the tutor – sir, if you make my child score at least 85%, I will reward you with 10k bucks. “It’s a prestigious issue, my daughter and my colleague’s daughter are in tenth standard; if my child gets a low score, how can I show my face to her?” says a working mother. “Do or die, you must score above 90% in the final exams otherwise it’s really difficult to get admission in a good senior secondary school”, says a middle class father.

Private schools progression -

Some or many private schools have moved a step forward – in the ninth standard itself they start teaching tenth std. syllabus. Actually, in the ninth standard, the academic year is somewhat like this – the first 4 months they will teach the 9^th std syllabus (term end exams are omitted or skipped), then remaining year they are taught tenth std syllabus. They almost finish teaching the syllabus of tenth in the 9^th standard itself. So, the question is, what do they do in the tenth standard? Here, is an interesting answer – in the entire academic year (10th standard) they’ll be revising the entire syllabus at least four times. Conduct so many tests, term-end exams, mock board exams etc. It’s all fair in the race for grades in this competitive generation- ascertain the [corporate] school managements.

But, 9th standard syllabi has plenty of aspects which are useful to students in higher standards. Omission of these topics lead them to suffer later for the lack of knowledge. It’s nothing but a gamble on the students’ future in favor of just one exam (SSC)

The Board Exam

Tenth std students have to appear for board exams in the month of March every year. Though the government has been planning to change the exam system for more than a decade, we hardly see any changes in it. There is tight security in the exam halls with ample invigilators; however, malpractice cases are on the high every year. It’s a known bitter fact, that due to pressure from parents and teachers, certain number of tenth std students are ending their lives after failing to reach their parents’ assigned targets. It is not unusual to hear reports of  suicides the very next day after the declaration of results.

I wonder, is SSC that tough, to sacrifice all the happiest moments of our beautiful childhood...? Well, this is the scene in almost all the schools in A.P.  No limits to expectations. Parents, teachers and students, everyone wants scores, grades; this rat race is making the child an entity rather than a citizen. The need of the hour is to change the exam system, syllabus and approach to teaching as well.