‘Dignity of labour’ is a phrase that means little to most youngsters today. At most schools, students are usually asked to mop the floor, dust the furniture or clean the school ground as a form of punishment.
‘Dignity of labour’ is a phrase that means little to most youngsters today. At most schools, students are usually asked to mop the floor, dust the furniture or clean the school ground as a form of punishment.
However, for students of Chandulal Maniben Nanavati School in Vile Parle (West), dignity of labour is something they practise every day. “Starting from Std I, students are taught that no job is menial or low,” said Malvika Vora, principal of the school.
On Monday, students of Std VII were cleaning the toilets and sweeping the corridors during their social service period.
Introduced by Madhuri Munim, a director of the school, the vernacular section has been following this philosophy since 60 years, while the English medium started in 1985.
“The younger children are asked to dust their desks and sweep the classroom every day. Form Std VII to X, this activity is part of their social service period. They are divided in groups and asked to clean the foyers, corridors, staircase, bathrooms, gardens, halls, etc, on rotational basis,” said Manjeet Chauhan, a teacher.
Also, the concept of peons or maids does not exist in this school. “They are referred to as ‘brothers’ and ‘didis’. When they enter a class, the students rise to greet them. This way the children are taught to respect all elders, irrespective of the work they do,” said Vora.
The children also do not look down upon this kind of work. “I’ve realised the effort a BMC conservancy worker has to put in. I’ve also learnt that the onus to keep our surroundings clean is on us. If we do not dirty the place, we do not need to clean it,” said Reema Punjabi, 14, a Std VII student.
Agreed 14-year-old Archana Balgi, another student. “In today’s world cleaning toilets is considered to be a demeaning job. It isn’t so. Now, I help my mother when our maid doesn’t come to work,” she said.
When asked if she minded seeing her kids do this kind of work, Navita Kumar, a parent, said, “Earlier, my kids wouldn’t budge to get a glass of water. Now, I can’t explain how happy I feel when the offer to help me at home.”
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