From Screen To Classroom: How A Malayalam Movie Inspired A Kerala School's Innovative Seating

NDTV

14-07-2025

A government school in Kerala has caught national attention for reshaping classroom dynamics, quite literally. Moving away from the age-old idea of "backbenchers," Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, Kollam, has introduced a new seating system where every student sits in the front row, reports PTI.
Seats are now placed along all four walls of the classroom, ensuring equal visibility and access to the teacher for each child. The idea was sparked by a scene from the recent Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, where a Class 7 student proposes the layout after being mocked for sitting at the back.
"It was his experience of being insulted sitting on the backbench that gave him such an idea. I never thought it would get such attention. It is not an idea created by us, but we did have such a seating arrangement earlier in classrooms, as part of the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), and we had lost it somewhere in between," Vinesh Viswanathan, director of the film, told PTI.
"I got a message that a school in Punjab has also adopted it after the principal saw the movie on the OTT platform. He also screened the movie for the students. I am happy that it got national attention," he added.
The model gained early support from Kerala's Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar, whose family runs RMVHSS. Having previewed the film a year before its release, the Minister initiated discussions with the school staff and introduced the new layout in one primary class. The results were so encouraging that the system is now in place across all lower primary sections of the school.
Sunil P. Sekhar, the headmaster, said that it allows them to give equal attention to every child and breaks the stereotype of backbenchers being neglected or distracted.
"I am able to attend to each of the students in the classroom and give better care to each of them. The students are also happy as they see the faces of all students in the classroom and pay close attention to the teacher," said veteran teacher Meera, who has nearly 30 years of experience.
The concept has now spread to at least eight other schools in Kerala and is also being noticed by educators elsewhere in India. While some critics on social media question its feasibility in overcrowded classrooms, Viswanathan counters that such conditions go against school norms, and authorities are taking note.
Interestingly, Anand Mahindra even reacted positively to the idea on social media, calling it a welcome move, despite admitting he is fond of the "backbencher" identity.
As RVHSS celebrates former student G. P. Nandana's remarkable feat, securing rank 2 in Kerala and 47 nationwide in the Civil Services Exam, it is also earning praise for this bold and thoughtful innovation in education.