‘NGOs-Government should take seminars and workshops to the class rooms’
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 28
Editor of The Morung Express, Along Longkumer told a freshers day gathering of students here that education alone will not fulfill the demands of today’s global environment. “A mere emphasis on bookish knowledge alone does not prepare a student for real life”, the Editor said while addressing students of Ram Janaki Higher Secondary School, Dimapur on Wednesday. He said that students should be taught in an environment that allows them to develop their overall personality.
“Having a brilliant academic career does not necessarily make one a successful person in life. A comprehensive curriculum should ensure that a student is well-equipped to face life’s challenges”, he said while encouraging that extra curricular activities such as sports-week and functions like freshers’ day should be encouraged as it is at these times that students gifted in other aspects other than studies, can participate and excel.
Pointing out that success is a matter of attitude; he exhorted students to be passionate in whatever they do. “It is a matter of what you think you are capable of. Even if you have all the knowledge in the world yet you lack the skills or the attitude, you could end up on the losing side”. He cited the example of Microsoft Chief Bill Gates and Reliance founder late Dhirubhai Ambani describing them as passionate people with the right attitude.
Longkumer also expressed his “strong feeling” that if one has to address issues of drugs, HIV/AIDS, corruption and other problems that confront society today, the best place to begin is in schools and among young people. “There is no better setting than this where young people can be informed about the everyday dilemma of what is right and wrong and teaching them to make the ‘Right Choice’. He urged NGOs and the State government to work out a policy of taking seminars and workshops to the class rooms while expressing the point that the battle for the minds against the dreaded disease of AIDS or the scourge of corruption has to begin in schools.
The Editor also advised the students to know their responsibility as individuals and the role expected of them. Asking students in general not to claim rights merely as a license to break the law, he said that rights and duties are correlated. “I honestly feel that the problem of indiscipline that we face everywhere, whether in school, family, politics, and in society is mainly due to the fact that we have today become a Rights-based society”. He said people in general shout for more rights but unfortunately, are not inspired to perform their duties and pointed out that such an attitude has to change.
Along Longkumer also said that the curriculum being imparted in schools has to give importance to value-based education. “Today’s education is churning out doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc., but to some extent, it is not producing good human beings”, he lamented while also saying that young people more than anything else need good role models whom they can look up to. “But sadly today there is dearth of such role models in our society. I therefore urge teachers in particular who are in daily contact with students to be good examples to them”, he said.
While advising the students about the importance of choosing the right career option, the Editor suggested to the school management to either set up a career counseling cell or if this is not possible to try and bring in experts from outside in order to guide and provide proper counseling to students before they enter college life. The Editor also gifted a one-year free subscription of The Morung Express for the Ram Janaki Higher Secondary School.
The highlights of the Freshers Day meet were the variety show performed by students of Ram Janaki Higher Secondary School. Over thirty entertainment items were performed by the talented students. The variety of performance included Bengali dance, free style dance, cultural show depicting various tribal colors and motifs, marital arts presentation, choreography. All this was later capped by the Mr & Mrs Freshers.
Those present during the freshers day program included Principal Hari Prasad Gupta, Chairman of the School Board Bhabhuti Rai, besides senior citizens from the Thakur Bari community. The program was chaired by P. Kumar and B.S Tripathi.
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