Handshake or hug for students by Principal before classes

A handshake or hug to students before the start of morning classes by the principal of a social welfare school to boost their morale has made them happy and confident and won her plaudits from officials.

The Principal, S Rupa, was inspired by a YouTube video, in which a teacher greets primary school children in this manner.

However she is not sure of details in the video of where these children or teacher are from.

Rupa, principal of Telangana Social Welfare Residential School/Junior College (Girls) at Addaguduru in Yadadri-Bhongir district, then decided to try out the gestures at a summer camp.

She greeted her students, belonging to backward sections of society, with either a handshake, a hug, a high five or a fist bump.

She then took printouts of the signs and pasted it where they could see it.

To add to the surprise element, the children were not told what it was for and were asked to select the signs they liked.

"We asked them to select any. We did not tell them what it is. We were doing it as a surprise for them. They felt happy and some children wanted all four," she told PTI.

Rupa said she greets the children with a hug or a handshake before start of classes in the morning.

Her thoughtul gesture has won her praise from senior officials, who have now decided to implement the practice in all schools, but not every day, for fifth standard children.

"It's a good practice where bonding will be more between teachers and students," Prasanthi, a senior official, said.