KOCHI: When many students spent their vacations in games and play, a seventh grader from Government UP School, Poojappura, spent his, trying to make his school look more attractive. With the free time he received, Ananthapadmanabhan, a native of Poojappura painted all the pre-schoolers desks with vibrant alphabets and numbers. The effort was to make the classrooms look more attractive to the children, who arrived for the school’s Praveshanotsavam today.
The young lad sketched four desks so far. Paintings of Mickey Mouse, Chota Bheem and Chutki are some of the figures that adorn the desks, while digits of different sizes and colours are other sights. Ananthapadmanabhan took only three days to complete the work.
The compound of the school has also been decorated with beautiful drawings. The idea was to make learning a fun-filled and interesting process for the children. Mathunny, school head master said, “We have converted the entire school building into a learning aid for students. Different drawings appropriate for certain classes have been done on classroom walls, for instance the sketches showing plants and the process of budding and that of a village in class IV.”
The paintings, according to him, are viewed by the children everyday. However, he adds, art on the desk is something new. “When I suggested the idea, it was Ananthapadmanabhan who volunteered to take up the task. Ofcourse, we lent all the support we could give,” he added.
According to Ananthapadmanabhan’s father and the school’s PTA member Binkumar, the boy had an interest in art since a very young age. “He used to copy every art he could lay his hands on,” he said.
Also art runs in his blood as he belongs to the Vilayil Veedu family which is associated with the annual tradition of offering Onavillu to the diety.
Apart from painting skills, Ananthapadmanabhan holds a talent for mimicry and monoact as well. “I have participated in district-level competitions in mimicry, mono act and digital paintings,” he said.
While only a few of the desks in the nursery has been ‘coloured’ so far, the school hopes to do the same in a more grand scale. Says the head master, “We hope to copy the concept in the other classes as well when the fund permits for it.”
The boy along with his sister has even prepared 50 small golden crowns for the tiny tots. Ananthaapadmanabhan has also acted in a short film titled ‘Myth’ by director Sunil Kumar, which is yet to be released.