THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a novel project to take knowledge on Kerala’s art, literature and culture to school students, the department of Malayalam in Kerala University launched a project named ‘Vakkumaram’ (Word Tree). On Monday, the first edition of the programme was held at Government UPS, Kariavattom, where research scholars from the Malayalam department handled special sessions for school children.
“We aim to bring changes from the grassroots levels. Students are the future, so whatever changes we need to create in society should begin with the students, especially from lower grades,’’ said Seema Jerome, Head of the Malayalam department.
As a part of the project, the research scholars of the Malayalam department will go to different schools and colleges. They will interact with students and try to impart the importance of freethinking, questioning, and progressive thoughts among students. The first session was handled by MPhil student Adarsh M S. Suggesting students to learn from nature, he said the busy life schedule in the city takes one away from nature. “We need to repeatedly tell youngsters about the role of nature in our life and learning,” he said.
“Times have changed. I used to remember my school days when teachers used to carry a cane with them. The students would get frightened by their teachers and the learning pro cess becomes a burden. We are trying to interact with the students in such a way so that we can bring out their best ability. Therefore, we need to create an environment where students can communicate freely with the teachers,’’ said Anitha A, a PhD scholar at the Malayalam department.