To let one's integrity shine through in the face of a tough situation when the easy way out is to fall back on a convenient lie, is by no means a small task. And what better place to inculcate such virtues than at the school.
Innovative initiative
Realising that it has as much responsibility in moulding the character of their students, as ensuring their academic competency, the Cochin Refineries School here has launched a unique club, aptly named, the Integrity Club (IC).
“Inculcating values like integrity, love, compassion, unity and patriotism in children is the best step forward in creating a corruption-free society,” I. Sasikala, Chief Vigilance Officer, BPCL, said while launching the club last month.
Integrity Club is a corporate initiative for rekindling human values in school children conceived by the Central Vigilance Commission and guided by the successful initiatives by Kendriya Vidyalayas.
Kochi Refinery (KR) is taking the lead in initiating the formation of Integrity Clubs in schools affiliated to CBSE in Kochi. The Integrity Club has been designed as a community group for cultivating values in children in the age group of 11-16 years.
The idea is that through the various activities and games under the club, students would acquire the cherished human values involuntarily manifesting in ethical conduct and behaviour unconsciously.
Members of the club would be known as “Young Champions of Ethics (YCEs)” and their goal would be to rekindle values in the society through their actions. The ethical fabric of the YCEs would be strengthened through various value based activities and their continuous practice under the club over a period of four years.
To achieve its motto of “living values,” the IC would focus on 12 most important human values of integrity, compassion, secularism, non-violence, love, tolerance, respect, honesty, patriotism, responsibility, simplicity, and unity.
Sessions
The Integrity Club School Management Committee will manage and conduct the various sessions and activities of the club based on lessons. There would be 25 sessions of one hour each during an academic year. Every session would start with the IC pledge, followed by IC theme song.
While imparting value education, the IC would also help polish the creative talents of its members. Various other activities like annual camps and value excursions have also been planned.
Students staged plays and colourful dance performances with the message of love, kindness and patriotism as the underlying theme to mark the launch.
John Minu Mathew, General Manager (Technical), BPCL-KR, K.B. Sujatha, Principal, CR School, K.N. Viswambharan, Vice-Principal and P.E. Thomas, Deputy Manager (Vigilance), KR, also spoke at the inaugural ceremony. KR coordinators K.P. Anand, Assistant Manager (Vigilance), and Sibi Ignatius, Manager (Vigilance), were also present.
