School turns radio station to rid children of stage fright

 School turns radio station to rid children of stage fright

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Kevin.Mendonsa@timesgroup.com

Mangaluru:

03.01.2022

At lunchtime, a rural school in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district becomes a radio station so that students can overcome stage fright while singing, reciting, mimicking or cracking jokes.

At Mariambika EnglishMedium School at Bebdrabettu, 16km from Belthangady town, Radio Station, as it is called, started four years ago. The microphone went silent because of the pandemic when schools were shut, but when classes resumed on the campus, the students returned to sing and recite with more confidence.

Sister Leena, who heads the institution, said the brief was simple when they launched the station.

Every child would get an opportunity to perform and no one would be judged. “It started four years ago with an intention to help students from rural areas. The children had stage fear and we decided to dedicate 15 minutes every day so that they would come out of it. It is going good since then and the students have seen positive changes in them,” she said. The school has about 500 children from classes1to10.

She said the children are free to do anything they are good at. “Some sing, others crack jokes, do mimicry, talk on current affairs, conduct quiz, recite poems or enact skits. The teachers assign slots to the children according to class. On that day, those kids finish their lunch early and run to grab the microphone set up in the school corridor. Other children listen to them with speakers connected to each classroom.

Sister Leena said there was a change when the students returned to school after the lockdown. “We noticed they were bolder and more forthright after the pandemic. The participation is more active compared to pre-Covid days,” she said.

The initiative has grabbed the attention of the department of public instruction.

Shambhu Shankar, coordinator of the block resource centre in Belthangady taluk, visited the school.

“This activity improves the listening and speaking skills of students in their free time,” Shankar said, adding: “It helps to overcome stage fear too and it is 100% usage of their free time. I was overwhelmed while listening to a student talking about environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka in English. ”