a day ago
Ganjam school makes students sit in a semi-circle
B
erhampur: An upper primary school at Bhabinipur in Ganjam district has introduced a new seating system for students which attempts to ensure there is no front- or back-bencher.
Instead of traditional seats or benches placed one after another in a row, the school authorities made the students sit in a semicircle, while the teacher is in the centre of the classroom.
"With the direction of Rangeilunda block education officer (BEO) Debendra Behera and assistance from sarpanch (Bhabinipur) Ranjit Sahu, we have adopted the new seating pattern in all classes from I to VII," said headmistress Puspita Panigrahy.
"We didn't face any problem implementing the new seating pattern as there are adequate benches and space in the classrooms. Students are also getting an opportunity to be close to the teacher," she said.
"This has also removed the stereotype of some students being called backbenchers," said Sahu, after getting feedback from children.
"After coming across the seating pattern in some Kerala schools, we asked the heads of all schools in the block to adopt it.
Several other schools, including two upper primary ones in Berhampur and another school at Golanthara, have also implemented the new seating arrangement," Behera said.
"Every student will get equal access to the teacher. It will also help teachers to identify if some student indulges in indiscipline," he added.
Several schools in Kerala adopted the semicircle seating pattern inspired by a Malayalam movie 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan', directed by Vinesh Viswanath, which was released last year.
