Students can learn a lot from newspapers

Updated on: Wednesday, June 22, 2011

A collective and enthusiastic “yes” was the response when Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, Dean and director, P.S.B.B group of school asked the students, at a gathering on Tuesday, whether they read the newspaper.

When asked what pages of the newspaper they read, they screamed with much delight, ‘Sports.' While they might do that with much interest, they should also explore other news pages was the point she stressed. “The world is getting closer today. Events happening everywhere are bound to influence you in some way. You cannot escape that,” she added.

The interaction was part of TheHindu Newspaper in Education (NIE) activity that was inaugurated at the P.S.B.B. Senior Secondary School, K.K. Nagar here on Tuesday.

The NIE programme has entered the eight year, and has around 450 schools associated with it.

Emphasising the role of newspapers in school education, Mrs. YGP told the youngsters “It is very important that you develop empathy and sympathy for people at this young age. Newspapers help you do that.”

She also urged them to conduct a comparative study of how different newspapers report events, and engage with them by contributing articles, and registering their discontent or appreciation about issues.

C. Velan, executive director and Chief Executive Officer of Tril Info Park Ltd., was the chief guest at the function. Recalling his days as a school student, he said: “I had to struggle for two square meals a day. The only advantage I had then was that my father was a teacher.” Urging the students to be courteous, he asked them to learn to manage time and strive to excel at whatever they do.

“Be courageous so that you can do the things you want to and learn the ones you don't know,” he said.

Among the students who listened to the speakers with rapt attention was Chandrasekhar Sriram, a class XI student, who was keenly noting down key suggestions mentioned by the speakers.

“The NIE programme has helped me to make some of my best friends, and also write better,” he said later.

“One idea definitely leads to another, and that is what happened with us,” said M.S. Amruthavarshini, a class IX student.

Excitement

“We started our own class paper to go along with the NIE, and all of us were so excited to contribute poems, puzzles and articles. The best was whenever a Harry Potter book or movie was released, we would all fight as to who would review it.”

Valli Arunachalam, principal of the school, asked the students to explore supplements of the newspaper to further their interests in other areas. “Reading the newspaper regularly will help you build your language skills, use the correct syntax and spellings and learn how to narrate an event,” she added.

Students can learn a lot from newspapers

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