From organising quizzes to dedicating class hours, schools across the city have developed ingenious methods to inculcate the habit of newspaper reading among students. At a meeting of school principals and coordinators from about 60 schools organised under the aegis of The Hindu Newspaper In Education initiative here on Thursday, the educators were unanimous in their praise for The Hindu ’s exclusive school edition.
The Hindu In School , an eight-page edition being brought out six days a week from Monday to Saturday, is into its second year now.
While S.B.O.A. Senior Secondary Public School has dedicated its library period and vocational guidance period for reading the school edition,
Bhavan’s Varuna Vidyalaya has dedicated a 20-minute period for the edition. English teachers at SBOA Senior Secondary Public School give assignments to students of Class 9 to 12 exclusively based on it.
Students at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Neriamangalam, organise a weekly quiz based on the school edition, which the school has encouraged by giving them grace marks.
The edition is part of the morning assembly at Kochi Refineries School which conducts a daily analysis based on the content of the newspaper. On days when the assembly cannot be conducted, a set of questions is posted on the notice board and the students leave their answers in a drop box.
Principal of Vidyodaya School suggested that the space reserved for politicians in the news section of the edition be brought down.
While principal of MET School, Perumbavur, said editorials were cut out and displayed on the school notice board, principal of St. Peter’s Senior Higher Secondary School, Kadayiruppu, said his students wanted the school edition to reproduce the editorial as it was in the main edition rather than giving it in a simplified form.
His request to give students an opportunity to visit the press was well-received. It was agreed that students in two batches of 30 each be allowed to visit the printing press.
Schools will have to send a letter of request to avail of this facility.
There was also a demand that copies of the school edition be distributed free of cost to students from under privileged backgrounds.
The decision to introduce new columns such as the one based on history and to have student reporters writing for the school edition was well-received.
Two students from Class IX and XI will be selected from each school as student reporters who will be in constant touch with the editorial team of the school edition in Chennai.
They will also be given guidance in bringing out school newsletters and magazines.
V. Ravi, Assistant Vice-President, Circulation, The Hindu , Chennai and D. Rajkumar, Business Development Manager, Chennai, were among those present.
