213. Inclusion of dignity of labour in the schools.
- School students particularly those belonging to senior classes should be encouraged to engage in manual work in order to inculcate in them a sense of dignity of labour and to attract their attention and energy to interests which will be educationally beneficial to them and of value to society.In higher classes viz. from class VIII onward, Social Studies in compulsory subject and under practical social work, students should as prescribed in the syllabus be required to do intensive survey of a village or Mohalla or to engage in such programme of social work as may improve sanitation and health, provide facilities for preventive and curative medicines and help the organisation of village assemblies, village sports, village libraries, reading rooms, rural theatres and rural festivals. Manual work and social service should not be regarded as extra curricular activity but should be so integrated with the courses of the schools that at the time of the promotion of the pupils from one class to another an assessment of their work and service should count towards such promotion.Projects and programmes involving manual work should be planned on special occasions like the celebration of the school anniversary or campaigns like Van Mahotsava, etc. These should be organised in such a way as to arouse mass interest and consciousness in Social Education and love for dignity of labour. A few of the projects to be taken up by students are given below by way of suggestions.-(a)Preparing of compost by digging standard pits according to specification laid down in manuals for manure making ;(b)health measures for villages by improving village roads, drains and houses;(c)improvement of school building and grounds by the construction and maintenance of play-grounds, improvement of road within the school, development of small fruit and flower gardens within the school Compound, construction of hedges for the school and repair and addition to school buildings;(d)improvement of village roads and inter-village roads construction to connect the villages with the existing road system in the country;(e)construction of irrigation channels or canals from water reservoirs to fields in the villages and also assistance in the improvement of drinking water-supply in the villages; and(f)masonry work for repairing and improving not only school buildings but also other public buildings in the locality.It is suggested that at least once and perhaps twice a year students may devote about a fortnight to projects of manual work. Such work should be considered as part of education and students ought to be given credit for the time spent on each work.(D.P.I.'s letter no. 11014, dated the 15th April 1953.)
