Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Turn vendors and learn a thing or two in the bargain

S.S. Kavitha

Children find themselves in the shoes of sellers of vegetables, fruits

MADURAI: "Aunty, this costs just 12 rupees, why don't you buy this for your kitchen?" asked a cute voice. Even before the parents and teachers responded to the call, another student told them that a particular brand of ghee or oil was so tasty. There were shouts of "Thank you aunty, thank you madam" all around.

It was an occasion when primary school children of Lakshmi School, Veerapanjan, donned roles of vendors of vegetables, fruits and groceries on Tuesday. It was the `Lakshmi School Market,' which was organised as part of a project work for kindergarten and primary school children.

Rustic all the way

The `market' was divided into sections: vegetable and fruit market for kindergarten students and supermarket for students of standards II and III.

The project provided a platform for the children to familiarise themselves with different kinds of vegetables, fruits and greens. The children and teachers dressed like vendors with lungis and `moustache' and `beard' at the `market' thronged by parents and visitors. Parents were given tokens at the entrance of the vegetable market, as the kids were too small to handle money!

The `market' also served a different purpose for students from the primary section. The supermarket section was flooded with grocery items. The primary section students were allowed to handle the money as the school hoped that it would help the children in enhancing their calculating abilities and basic arithmetic skills, besides inculcating marketing and pacifying skills.

"We are just observing the children's enthusiasm and excitement. Call it activity-based learning or something else, children were allowed to live in a different atmosphere," said parents.

Students were really involved because it was a different experience.

"I just love the day and I love to do this and I am very happy," said A. Sibi Raj of II Standard. Almost all the students concurred.

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