Patna schools to have philately clubs

PATNA: In order to promote philately as a creative tool of learning, the department of post has undertaken a programme to open at least 20 philately clubs in schools in Patna.An attempt was made to spread the hobby of philately among school children at the stamp design and philately quiz competition organised by the Bihar postal circle (BPC) at the start of the recent 'Postal Week' celebration.The response was tremendous, with at least 938 children from 35 schools participating in it.With large participation of children in such competitions in the last few years, the BPC has planned to open philately clubs in schools in a big way. Knowledge through stamps, a movement carried on in the US, has encouraged senior BPC officials and philatelists of Patna to make it happen here. The chief postmaster general of BPC, S P Singh, is happy that philately clubs have already been opened in about a dozen schools. This habit makes man learn about the entire world. The spread of the habit of philately among school children will add to their creativity, Singh said.The chief postmaster of Patna general post office (GPO), Anil Kumar, said that the number of philately clubs in schools in Patna has already reached 12. The target is to open philately clubs in at least 20 schools and this would be achieved by the end of this financial year. The schools already covered under this programme include Don Bosco Academy, DPS School, DAV School, Shastrinagar, and Dayanand Kanya Vidyalaya, Mithapur, Kumar added.Under the BPC's scheme to promote philately among school children, at least 425 children have opened philatelic accounts with the philatelic bureau of Patna GPO. These children are members of the philatelic clubs of 12 schools, he said.For opening a philatelic account, a school student has to deposit Rs 200, and, in return, get postage stamps, including the newly-released ones, from the philatelic bureau counter or by post. No postage is payable for sending newly-released stamps to school children. The process is easy to help children become active philatelists wihout having to make frequent visits to the philatelic bureau, Kumar added. When the deposited money is nearly exhausted, the child member of the philatelic bureau is informed to deposit Rs 200 for further delivery of newly-released stamps.For opening a philatelic club in a school, at least 10 students should be interested. The club is led by a group comprising the school principal or a teacher of the school, a philatelist and one postal official.