From: Times of India [Published on Sep 6, 2010]
BANGALORE: Noodles and chocolates before a special class. Glucose to keep you going. Carnatic music and yoga to soothe your mind. If you are a Class X or XII student, then get pampered by schools.
To make students sail through this tough year without stress, schools in the city have come up with various such measures.
Providing snacks to students before a special class seems to be a common practice in many schools. "The regular classes get over by 3pm. We give a small break before the special class commences. During this period, we provide refreshments. The menu varies — it can be idli, dosa, bread toast or noodles in small amounts. They should have the energy to study as the classes may go on till 4.30pm," said Nagarathna S Murthy, principal, Geethanjali Vidyalaya. This has been a practice for the past five years now.
At Florence Public High School, they provide snacks before the special class. "In the morning, they eat what they carry from home. In the evenings, we give them biscuits, chocolates or cake," said Abida Begum, the principal. Similarly, Clarence Public School provides biscuits for a class of 75 students almost every day.
Florence also makes it a point to drop the students after special class. "We have spare vans that are meant for this purpose. Students who live a little far away make use of this facility," Abida said. Another interesting measure that has been adopted is to expose children to Carnatic music to help them concentrate. Geethanjali Vidyalaya gives students one hour music class weekly, which aids in focussing.
Yoga classes are also a big hit among students. "Although students from Class V have yoga classes, we take special care for students preparing for boards. If required, we conduct it twice a week as against the scheduled one. We have had students who say that it helps in relaxing," said Aayeeshah, the yoga teacher in Delhi Public School.
They practise pranayama, suryanamaskar, kapalabati and shavasana. "It helps them to focus, increase memory power and imagination and to think practically," she said.