PROMOTION OF 'SAHITYA SABHA' BY SWANIRVAR



SAHITYA SABHA IN FATULLAPUR SCHOOL

             Swanirvar started its Primary Education Department with a vision - "Evolve a more effective model for primary education (class I to IV, 5-10yrs age group)". Beside the bookish text memorize, we always encourage our students in different extra-curricular activities, like singing, dance, drama, recitation etc. From the time of inception, there were some cultural activities in our centres. On the other hand, we also send our teachers in different trainings/ workshops / symposiums and exposures to learn new techniques and methodologies and also to get new ideas from there.
In January, 1998 our teachers and supervisor went to Patha Bhavan, Shantiniketan School (founded by Rabindra Nath Tagore) located at Bolpur in Birbhum District of West Bengal. There they attended a cultural fest organized by the students. They also came to know that this was started by Rabindranath Tagore and the objectives of this programme were as follows:
a. To enhance the creativity and expansion of imaginations of the children.
b. Develop writing skills and promotion of self-expression.
c. Promotion of creative skills of the pupils.
d. Planning-Management-Review-lesson learnt;
e. Leadership development, etc
            Tagore also termed that programme as ‘SAHITYA SABHA’. We also came to know from the teachers of the Patha Bhavan that some the students who are not so good in the academic session but performing excellent in the Sahitya Sabha, also learnt that these programmes helped them to develop communication skills.
            Returning from Patha Bhavan, Shantiniketan the supervisor of Primary Education Dept. submitted a detailed report of the visit and also expressed the willingness to introduce Sahitya Sabha in our schools as well as local Govt Schools.
            First such sahitya sabha started in March, 2000 in Chandalati Swanirvar Primary School. In 2001, two more schools, Fatullapur and Andharmanik Primary schools organized two Sahitya Sabha. In, 2002 some local Govt Schools participated with us, a joint sathitya sabha was being held in which 12 Govt institutions participated. Gradually, Sahitya Sabha became very popular event in the academic calendar of an institution. On 20th August, 2005, Swanirvar Primary schools and 30 local Govt Primary Schools jointly organized a Sahitya Sabha and a symposium on recent trends in Bengali literatures. This was held in the premises of Katiahat F.P. School. Eminent poet, Krishnalal Maity and many local educationists participated in that seminar. They also praised us for introducing such action based skill development programme in curriculum. In 2006 all the schools organized small sahitya sabhas in their own institutions. 3 large scale joint sahitya sabha were held in 3 different schools in which many Govt institutions participated.

SAHITYA SABHA IN GOVT SCHOOL

             On 14th November, 2006 a big cultural programme, Sahitya Sabha was organized under the joint collaboration of Swanirvar and 2 Govt. Primary Teachers Associations. Students from Swanirvar schools and from 55 Govt institutions participated along with their parents. It was held in the community hall of Baduria Municipality. Minister of state SHG development, Mrs. Rekha Goswami, Md. Selim Gain, MLA Baduria, The Block Development officers of Baduria and Deganga, Local Gram Panchayat Pradhans, Many eminent writers, poets and educationists, Sailen Ghosh, Bhavaniprasad Mazumder, Shyamal Kanti Das, Avik Basu, Dr. Niranjan Banerjee, Deep Mukherjee etc joined in that programme. The entire programme was planned, managed, performed and directed by the different committees of students. Gradually sahitya Sabha became one of the popular events of the rural people. Whenever a school or a group of schools organized Sahitya Sabha, along with the parents the local villagers participated in those functions and sometimes gave some financial assistance.
             At present it has became a must for every rural institution in our project areas: Below there were a table of the sahitya sabha s organized in the schools from 2007 onwords...
Year                        No of Sahitya Sabha             Students        Teachers

2007 – 2008              10                                          589                 65
2008 – 2009              12                                          645                 80
2009 – 2010              11                                          632                 73
2010 – 2011              22                                          861                 149
2011 – 2012              36                                          1416               174
2012 – 2013             (till NOV) 26                            826                 122
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Total                       117                                          4969               663


Reported By,
Sri Prosanto Mondal
Supervisor, Primary Education Dept, Swanirvar
9732829202(M)