Home Study in Zhavame aims to empower rural school children

Recognising the need for students at the grassroots level to develop critical thinking from young age, Zhavame village Students’ Union has initiated a regular time bound ‘Home Study’ for school children every day. (Morung Photo)

Recognising the need for students at the grassroots level to develop critical thinking from young age, Zhavame village Students’ Union has initiated a regular time bound ‘Home Study’ for school children every day. (Morung Photo)

Vishü Rita Krocha
Zhavame | August 25

For the rural school children of Zhavame village, going to school meant mostly “memorising” and “passing exams”—a common trend that is widespread among students. 

Moreover, with most of their parents illiterate, these children barely have anyone to guide or help them with their studies or homework.

This is where the recent initiative undertaken by the Zhavame Students’ Union (ZSU) has come in to fill the gaps. 

Recognising the need for students at the grassroots level to develop critical thinking from a young age, the students’ body has initiated a two-hour regular ‘Home Study’ for the school children from 3-5PM everyday at the ZSU Library cum Office in Zhavame village.

Speaking to The Morung Express in an exclusive interview, President of Zhavame Students’ Union, Joshua Rhi related that, “many of them go to school for namesake and do not have the habit of studying at home, and so we are initiating this ‘Home Study’ to encourage them to learn according to their own capacity, help them understand their lessons better without having to memorise.”

Additionally, the ZSU is providing the young students with rough copy and the executives take turns to be there to assist them in completing their homework, clarifying their doubts and paying more attention to weak subjects.

Underscoring the need for all round development of a child, Rhi pointed out that the ‘Home Study’ was initiated for the students in the village to imbibe good study habits and change of mindset towards academic and societal betterment. 

Keeping in mind the lack of home studies due to many factors such as lack of proper guidance and negligence from parents, he said that they are also endeavouring to provide supplementary education exclusively to the school children studying in the village. 

Through this initiative, he also exuded hope that it would also eventually reduce the rate of school drop-outs from the village.

“These children at the grassroots level are very difficult to teach as they have been used to ‘memorizing’ during exams, but we are trying to inculcate the habit of reading in them. We are not forcing them to memorize, but letting them learn according to their own capacity,” he put across.

Parents, the President maintained are “very happy” with the initiative while the children are even more excited. 

“At home, most of them do not have the facility of table and chair to study. They were elated just seeing the library, not being used to one earlier. They were very happy just flipping through the books in the library,” he stated.

On the day they opened the ‘Home Study’ facility to students on August 19, eight school children turned up while on the second day, there were 11 children.

“It is very encouraging to see that our students love the home study,” he stated, informing that while there were 8 students on day one, the number of students now has rose to 41 on day 4.  

Rhi was optimistic that it would continue to draw more students and that it would have a profound impact on the lives of the students. “We are hoping for the best results!”