Joyful Saturday initiative of Rajasthan Government

Introduction

The Rajasthan government, through its 'Joyful Saturday' program aims to create an environment to learn without burden for the students of Class I to XII of government schools. The initiative is part of the Samgra Shiksha Abhiyan (SMSA).

The objective of the scheme is to cultivate values in the students and enhance their creativity by conducting activities like debate, poetry recitation, story writing, acting in play and recitation of stories relating to lives of great people.

Key features of the program

1. The program has been started by Samgra Shiksha Abhiyan (SMSA) in order to develop values and to hone creativity in the students
2. ‘Joyful Saturday’ are to be held after recess on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.
3. The objective of the program is to teach mathematics, language, and environment in a playful manner.
4. The program helps to inculcate the values to respects other’s view and feeling. It further helps in improving the decision making ability of students.
5. Under this program, various Co-Curricular activities are conducted to develop the values like physical, psychological, Ethical, academic, civic, social, aesthetic, cultural recreational and disciplinary values.
6. A provision of Rs 1,000 per school has been made to schools for the purchase of items needed to organise the co-curricular activities.

Co-Curricular activities conducted under Joyful Saturday programme

1. Program will consist of activities to improve communication skills, creativity, critical, and logical thinking for the students of Class 1 to Class 12.
2. Students will be divided into three batches from class 1 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12 and activities will be segregated to suit all ages and abilities.
3. The various Co-curricular activities conducted under the Joyful Saturday include debate, poetry recitation, storytelling, puzzle solving, display of scientific magic tricks, toy making, arts and crafts, communicating with police, doctors, nurses, bank staffers, plantation works, road safety, child rights' club activities, display of motivational videos, gender-based videos (good touch, bad touch), games,etc.
4. Under this program there are division of activities into Indoor and Outdoor Co-curricular activities which includes Dramatics, Mass parade Music and dance, Mass drill, Drawing and painting, Yoga, Decoration, Athletics, Weaving, Bicycling, Clay modelling, Gardening, First Aid, Cricket, Tailoring, Football, Rangoli, Basketball, Book binding ,Volleyball,  Cardboard work, Kabaddi.

Conclusion

It’s a laudable effort by the Rajasthan education department to implement programs like Joyful Saturday that are educative, innovative and one which cater to the overall socio-moral developmental needs of the students. Through this initiative, students are taught life skills in addition to the regular subjects and thereby preparing them for the future to withstand all sought of pressure and thereby advance as an impeccable human being inculcating values of respect and truthfulness.

Source and for more information: Rajasthan Council of Elementary Education