Kids get civic lessons
2000 city students learn to be socially active……..Prachi Nayak
Taking a cue from the movie Munnabhai MBBS, where the protagonist thanks a sweeper by hugging him, schools plan to instil similar values in their pupils.
Twenty-one city schools have signed up to teach their students civic responsibilities through the Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) programme.
The movement already has over 2,000 members enrolled in over 40 clubs.
Jamnabai Narsee, Hiranandani Foundation and Navy Children School are some of the prominent schools to join the CMCA. “Our volunteers train students of class VII and VIII on civic duties, democratic rights and responsibilities. Concepts which they can implement rather than just read in textbooks,” Vinodini Lulla co-ordinator for CMCA Mumbai said.
Students will be taught to uphold civic rules, correct other citizens who disobey laws and appreciate the work of civic authorities. They will also undertake active initiatives like become traffic volunteers and understand road safety or understand the importance of casting their vote and its importance in a democracy.
Enumerating incidents of activism, Lulla said, “Zameer, a student, of Little Flower of Jesus school noticed that people in his neighbourhood were throwing garbage on the street, due to the lack of a dustbin. He went to the BMC ward office in his locality and got a dustbin installed.”
Many CMCA member-students have taken up drives like stopping citizens from littering on train tracks, spitting on roads and smoking in public places.
Recently CMCA students undertook a signature campaign to ban use of plastic bags. “Many children have also spoken to shopkeepers in the vicinity to avoid use of plastic bags,” said Gitanjali Dhulekar, a CMCA volunteer said.