In the first of its kind initiative, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation will be organising cultural exchange programme for its students from May 11 to 14.
As per the plans, 60 students and 16 teachers from its schools will be visiting Guwahati, Shillong and Cherrapunji and interact with the students. The idea is to inculcate a sense of cultural inclusiveness among students of municipal schools. The tour will be organised by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Chairman of Education Committee in South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Satish Udpadhya said that through this programme students will able to learn about culture, geography and language of the North-Eastern States. “The program will provide the students a platform to enhance their practical, creative and cultural knowledge. The provisions for such tours have been made in the budget for the year 2013-14,” Upadhyay said.
SDMC Commissioner Manish Gupta said 60 students from various schools in four zones along with 16 officials of Education department will visit these States. Officials said the students will meet locals there and exchange views with fellow students and teachers in their schools in the four-day program. “Fifteen meritorious students from each of the four zones have been selected for the cultural exchange program. The batch of students from north-eastern States is expected to come to Delhi in a few weeks after the Delhi students’ visit. The initiative will help in sensitising children about cultural diversity of the country,” they said.
As per the plan, students on the tour will be required to make projects about what they learnt and the things they shared. The projects will be submitted to their teachers. The students have been given new uniforms and proper identity cards to each of the students.
“Delhi is home to people from across the country. Cultural sensitisation at a young age is important. A lot of crime and misunderstanding happen when grown up people from two diverse communities refuse to accept each other’s backgrounds. Only maintaining law and order will not be enough,” said Upadhayay. “Once children from Delhi acquaint themselves with their compatriots living in another part of the country, they will become sensitive to it and accept them more freely in future,” he added.