RANCHI: Parent-teacher meetings (PTMs), usually a prospect of jitters for students, will now get a unique twist in Jharkhand.
Students will now worship their parents and celebrate the day of the PTM, March 15, as ‘matri-pitri pujan diwas (the day of worshipping parents)’. Before meeting teachers, students will worship their parents according to the culture and practices of the particular region.
Jharkhand’s education project council director has directed district education officers and superintendents to ensure that an event is organised in each of the schools every three months.
The idea is the brainchild of Education Minister Neera Yadav.
“It is an effort to revive the lost culture of the land where parents are said to be the first ‘guru’ (teacher) of a child. Inculcating ‘matri-pitri pujan’ among the children will help in reviving this culture of parent worship through schools so that some value can be added in the education system,” said State incharge (Quality Education) Avinav Kumar.
“It will be organised purely with an objective to inculcate missing values among the new generation through such activities in schools,” said Kumar. It is now being felt that inculcating cultural values is also important along with the quality education and hence the decision was taken to organize 'matri-pitri pujan diwas' so that the children could make understand value of their parents in their life, he added.
Schools teachers also asserted that it will make a positive impact.
“It will definitely put a positive impact among the students as while organising 'matri-pitri pujan diwas', there will also be a discussion related to the tradition. This will help children learn cultural values,” Bariatu Government School principal Naseem Ahmed. When they practice the activity practically in school, a sense of respect towards their parents will be develop automatically, he added.