Schools in city use Saraswati Puja as opportunity to educate their students
Kolkata: Breaking away from the traditional ways of celebrating Saraswati Puja, city schools are using it as an opportunity to educate their students about an array of topics, including environment, sustainability, use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and smashing gender stereotypes.
“The aim is to make the festival more educational for the students. The interactive learning will be induced as an element of fun,” the Jodhpur Park Boys’ School headmaster Amit Sen Majumder said. They will be conducting the Saraswati Puja around the evolution of the education system in India, starting from the gurukul system to modern day learning methods like use of Artificial Intelligence.
Each age will have a tableau imparting historical details and vibrant visuals. The students are most excited about the robot which is being programmed by class X students under the supervision of their robotics teacher. Last year, the school’s Saraswati Puja theme was India’s space exploration programme.
The theme for Jodhpur Park Girls’ School is “Make Environment Your Friend.” According to their principal, it’s the first time that the school is organising Saraswati Puja with a twist, i.e. inclusion of educational and social messaging as part of the festival. Recycled objects and dried leaves with messages will be put up along with paintings by the students from classes VI to X. Classes XI to XII students will not be participating because of their examination. The Higher Secondary Examination 2024 is going to start from February 16 to February 29.
For the first time students will be performing the Saraswati Puja rituals at Jadavpur Vidyapith. Seven girls students will be taking part in this and be trained by two passout students of the school on the rituals. “Rituals are often conducted by male priests, but this time we will be breaking that gender stereotype by making our seven girl students perform the rituals,” headmaster Partha Pratim Baidya said.
