'Joyful Saturday' prog to be introduced in govt schools of Raj

The Rajasthan government has introduced the 'Joyful Saturday' initiative under which various recreational and learning activities would be held for government school students on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

Students will not have to carry their bags for 'Joyful Saturday', which would be held after recess on the second and fourth Saturdays.

Activities to improve communication skills, creativity, critical and logical thinking would be held for the students from classes 1 to 12.

Rajasthan School Education Council had recently issued a circular to all the district education officers and district coordinators of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, informing them that the 'Joyful Saturday' programme had been approved.

Activities like debate, poetry recitation, storytelling, puzzle solving, display of scientific magic tricks, toy making, arts and crafts, communicating with police, doctors, nurses, bank staffers, plantation works, road safety, child rights' club activities, display of motivational videos, gender-based videos (good touch, bad touch), games, etc., will be held under six segments of expression or communication skills -- creativity, critical thinking and logic skills, community skills, social sensitivity skill and physical skills.

Students will be divided into three batches from class 1 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12. A provision of Rs 1,000 per school has also been made for the purchase of items needed to organise the fun activities, the circular issued by Shivangi Swarnkar, state project director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan said.

Sandeep Joshi, lecturer of a government senior secondary school, Revat in Jalore district, said the initiative will help in overall development of students in government schools.

We were already doing activities like classroom debate, speech and physical activities, but we will get more time now because the government has issued orders. Students are excited about 'Joyful Saturday' which will start very soon, he said.