It has been a couple of months since the Library in School Program (LiS) started in schools for this academic year. We have grown from 11 schools to 16 schools this year. Last year, in December, we were approached by the Government Primary School, Taleigao to conduct LiS sessions in their schools and although there were just about three months for the academic year to end, we agreed and started immediately in January 2018. The team was allocated, book boxes, notebooks, name tags were made quickly and our sessions started.
We also had requests from two other Government Primary schools (GPS) to conduct LiS there. As there was a shortage of staff, we requested them to hold on a bit. This academic year, we decided to start in these schools, come what may. And after talks with the heads of both the schools, we started sessions in mid-June. For me, this was a first of a kind experience as I had not been to the Taleigao School apart from a couple of cursory visits initially.
The first school that I went to was the GPS Merces – it took a while to find this quaint, tiled-roof house tucked deep in a side lane off one of the main roads in Merces. We were welcomed warmly by the HM and the three teachers. They took us around the two rooms that consist of four primary classes from Std 1-4. The children seemed very curious but were also very shy to see us. Each room has two classes happening in parallel due to shortage of space. So each room has two black boards facing each other and two teachers teach their respective classes in the same class at the same time! We gathered the two classes and combined them into one big class and started our sessions.
There is so much curiosity and awe about even the most regular of things. The first LiS session had the children personalizing their activity books by drawing and colouring something of their own choice. The children were amazed at the oil pastels provided and repeatedly checked with us if they could use any colour of their choice. There was so much joy in that colouring. Not only the Std 1 and 2 but even the Std 3 and 4 children are amazed by the stories, the large story books, the puppets and the works…and this is expressed in every session. They are taking care to follow the structure of the session, are learning to browse through books and then choose a book to take home, have started to respond to questions asked during the session. The teachers tell me that the younger children ask them on other regular days if Bookworm teachers are coming – such joy and satisfaction to hear this.
The second GP School that I happened to conduct sessions in was GPS Panaji. It is situated in the heart of the bustling city. The excitement with which the children come running from their respective classes to join as one combined class is indescribable. Many young ones struggle to tell us if they are in Std 1 or Std 2; they try to show us with their fingers but the happiness with which they lovingly touch a book, open it, move their fingers over each image needs no words. The older ones are eager to answer all the questions every time and fall over each other to get a chance.
When I go to these schools, I feel so connected to these children and I wish that I could do a lot more with them. The wonder with which they open many books and then choose a book and then come back and keep it carefully in their bags; when I watch this, it makes me feel like going and picking up a book and touching it and experiencing that feeling too. I am really looking forward to the coming year and its many such experiences. These experiences reinforce the value of a library and that books not only spread knowledge but small joys in these children’s lives.
