These schools teach kids to smile, share and care

BANGALORE: Greet everyone with a smile, say hello to your peers, be involved in community service, learn to share resources. This is the new mantra schools are adopting to develop the `right attitude' among students.
Some Bangalore-based schools are coming out with various innovative programmes to inculcate moral values in children. Interestingly, schools have witnessed remarkable changes in children after they introduced these programmes.
To begin with, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Malleswaram, started `Habit Chain', an informal programme, an year ago.Here, a child will be introduced to one value, which will be implemented and later extended to other children. For example, learning to wish a teacher. "If one child does it, naturally other students will follow it. Similarly, with sharing of resources. If a child has lost a pencil or it's broken, then they should learn to share with their peers or even lend a helping hand. These qualities imbibed early in children will take a long way in their life," said V Meenakshi, principal, KV, Malleswaram.
MANY VOLUNTEERS
The programmes implemented for classes from 1 to 12 are different depending on the levels. Though it's a voluntary programme, most of the students opt for it. To help the students, a teacher is assigned to monitor the behaviour of the students. "In case they are unable to do it, they can take the teacher's guidance. There is no assessment for this," the principal said.
She claimed that there has been change in the students' behaviour. "They are more confident now and whatever they started in the habit chain has been continued," Meenakshi added.
FILMS TO TEACH
Realizing the moral values are slowly diminishing in the society, Delhi Public School (DPS) hit upon an idea to teach moral values in the form of short film - School Cinema. Implemented for Class 2, 4, 5 and 6, there are 12 modules showcasing various aspects of life - truth, respect, politeness, etc. Children will be shown one movie a month. Duration of the movie is half an hour and the activities related to movie is listed in the workbook. Later, it will be included in continous comprehensive evaluation (CCE).
"When a student sees the video, they will remember it for long. Modules change depending on the class levels. Last year, we introduced it only in Class 5. Following the success, we have now extended it to other classes," said Mansoor Ali Khan, trustee member, Board of Management, DPS.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
It's entirely a different concept at the Indus International School as they firmly believe in more deeper attitude and commitment. The school works towards community development and has a separate community school for the underprivileged children, where the international students are actively involved.
"When the children involve in community school, they gradually imbibe certain values such as love, empathy, discipline, respect, etc. Added to this, we have leadership school in Yellagiri, which teaches leadership qualities, which is the only one of its kind in India," said Sarojini Rao, principal of the school.
International students spend seven days in the Yellagiri hills every year where they will be taught about team building, risk management and group discussion. Teaching varies depending on class levels. "Even the teacher's appraisal in the school is based on their involvement in community," she added.