CANACONA:: In present times when traditional farming practices are fading from memory, the innovative initiative by Gaval-Khola Government High School is a beacon of hope as it has taken education beyond the walls of a classroom.
Initiated by the Headmistress Gautami Dessai this school has initiated a process of teaching sustainable agriculture, paddy cultivation and kitchen garden to its students in a practical manner.
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Towards this end, the school has used whatever space available to it for practical education thereby creating a dynamic curriculum that goes beyond mere notebooks.
“Education should not be confined to classrooms but activities should also be a pivotal part of learning,” she believes as it makes education enjoyable and effective.
The students have actually cultivated paddy in a field and dirtied their hands in the process, underscoring the significance of engagement, understanding and skill development, said the headmistress.
“This initiative provides students with a profound understanding of farming techniques, teamwork, and responsibility. It also imparts valuable lessons on the journey from seed to plate and the vital role of environmental stewardship”, Gautami Dessai said. Community involvement is also part of this new experiment, as the locals guided the students as they undertook paddy cultivation thereby strengthening the bond between education and community involvement.
Carried out under the Green School Initiative, this particular project is spearheaded by Vishant Bandekar who had not only guided the students but also got the local people to participate in this novel experiment.
By taking education beyond the classrooms, Gaval-Khola School has sowed seeds of not only gaining knowlexcdge but involving the community for sustainable development of the locality thereby paving way for responsible citizens of tomorrow.
Headmistress Dessai revealed that in the past the students had also grown the famous Khola chillies and other vegetables in their kitchen garden plot.
Following the success of the monsoon crop, the school management and students are now making plans to cultivate a winter crop.
