Around 4,000 students in Delhi govt schools trained in fine arts: Report

Around 4,000 students in Delhi government schools have received training in different fine arts through an initiative launched three years ago, according to a report launched by Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Tuesday.

Started as a joint pilot project by the state government and the Nalandaway Foundation, a city-based NGO, the Delhi Arts Curriculum initiative allowed students from underserved communities to choose from five art forms, including music, dance, and theatre, among others.

Launching the report, Atishi said that 'Art Integrated Learning' will empower children to identify their artistic skills and express themselves with confidence.

"When a child comes to school every morning, they are immensely energetic and full of unbridled curiosity. It is extremely vital that we undertake changes in methods of teaching and learning to ensure that we can leverage this curiosity and help the child learn as much as possible, Atishi said.

The curriculum report by Nalandaway Foundation said, "The Delhi Arts Curriculum, which was piloted in nine government schools here, has transformed the lives of 3,980 students and 89 teachers and has enabled students aged 3 to 10 years to develop specific competencies in five different art forms -- visual arts, music, dance, theatre, and media arts."

"Three years ago, when we signed the MoU with the Delhi government to introduce an arts curriculum in government schools, we used the opportunity to introduce into the curriculum different art forms every day for the students aged 3 to 13 years, said Sriram V, founder and CEO of NalandaWay Foundation.

At the end of the artful academic year, we were thrilled by the outcomes for children as well as teachers," he said.

Citing the NGO's success with other state governments, such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, Sriram said his organisation would take the partnership with the Delhi government forward by introducing art-based skill training for teachers across all schools in the national capital.