As the State is celebrating 25 years of the people's planning movement, a school in Cherthala is going beyond textbooks to inculcate a much deeper understanding of decentralised governance amongst students.
Through a series of field trips, seminars, study camps and orientation programmes, the Social Science Club of Sree Narayana Trust Higher Secondary School, Cherthala, is helping its students gain practical know-how about decentralisation in their impressionable and formative years.
"The programme intends to develop in students a deep perception of decentralised administration, especially about the Panchayati Raj Act and grama sabha using an empirical approach. We launched the programme during the COVID-19 times with select 30 students and it is turning out to be a new experience for them. We are documenting everything as part of the initiative," says Sudeep P. Das, teacher and convener of the Social Science Club.
Since the first seminar organised on October 2 on the 'Influence of Gandhian principles in decentralised administration', the club has so far conducted 13 seminars, workshops and awareness programmes on various topics related to local governance. Besides, the students visited the Kerala Institute of Local Administration and Alappuzha district panchayat office and attended sessions there to have a better knowledge about grama sabha and decentralisation.
"Apart from studying decentralised administration, the programme has helped students better understand various government initiatives such as Rebuild Kerala, Haritha Keralam, Aardram, solid waste management, the role of local bodies in disaster management, agriculture development and so on. They are now capable of initiating various activities based on the knowledge acquired," says Mr. Das.
A report based on the documentation will be submitted to the Local Self-Government department in May. "We are doing it to ensure academic-level follow-up activities so that younger ones may get more awareness and practical know-how about decentralised administration," says Mr. Das
