Annual day celebrations in schools are going online in view of the pandemic crisis.
Many school managements decided to conduct the event online to kindle the spirit of togetherness and encourage students to showcase their talents despite the difficult times.
Teachers said the intent of hosting annual day events online came based on the inference that efforts should be made to organise extracurricular initiatives as a tool to overcome the academic pressure and mental anxieties experienced by learners in the pandemic situation.
“As there are logistical hurdles, we have confined the celebrations to children in junior classes. They can upload their individual performances online. There will be a common theme for the celebrations. Kids will be given various performance options,” they said.
Those having a flair for drawing or painting can come up with their creative works based on the theme while children interested in dance and music can select either a dance or music performance. They can also speak for a few minutes on the theme of the annual day or come dressed up as characters connected with the common thread of the event.
Schools have also taken a cue from recommendations in the National Education Policy that gives emphasis on the holistic development of children. It had suggested easing out academic stress and incorporating co-curricular activities in mainstream education.
IAP report
A document on ‘School Education in COVID-19 times’ prepared by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) had pointed out that school closure resulted in stress among children and their families. They were more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder during and after the epidemic, it said.
The IAP suggested that schools could encourage students to undertake general reading, music, dance, drawing, painting, art and craft, poetry, story writing, mono acting and other indoor activities in these times.
