Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Jul 13: Students should be encouraged to show interest in agriculture. If the children are made aware and curious about agriculture, when they are young, then they love and feel proud about agriculture when they grow up. Along with the theory they learn from the text books in school, practical training and knowledge makes the study more fulfilling. In the background of this idea, the students of Vandse Higher Primary School in the taluk enjoyed transplanting of rice seedlings in the fields on July 10.

The students, who took part in the planting of saplings that took place in the rice fields of Srinivas Poojary, former president of Vandse gram panchayat, had a unique experience of learning the planting of the rice saplings along with the experienced labourers.

There is a lesson 'Seena Settaru Namma Teacher' in the text book of Seventh standard. In this lesson various stages of agriculture are explained. One of them is planting of saplings. This was taught in a practical manner to the students through this activity.

Today, rice farming is depleted to a serious extent. Students do not even get basic knowledge of agriculture. They do not even know how the rice is produced. The word is going around that interest towards agriculture should be instilled in students.

Certain educational institutions take their students to rice fields and agricultural farms and show them practically as to how various crops are grown. Accordingly, the students of Vandse higher primary school learnt the planting of saplings and also other facts about rice farming in a practical manner, under the able guidance of in-charge headmistress of the school Asha, who was accompanied by physical education teacher Raju N and teacher Revathi.

The students planted the saplings in the fields that were tilled and water logged to a fair extent in line, giving sufficient gap between the plants. Srinivas Poojary explained to the students about the way of planting the saplings and information on how much portion of the sapling needs to be inserted inside the sludge, how to take the individual saplings from the bunch in the hand, the importance of giving space in between each sapling, growth of saplings and the protection of the plant.

The students, who took part actively and happily in the programme for quite some time, shouted slogans hailing the farmer, who provides food and also wished for a bumper crop in the country this year.

SDMC president of the school Manjunatha A G, president of old students' association of the school, Sandesha Shetty Adikekoodlu, civil contractor Rudraiah Acharya, SDMC member Shekhar, former president of Mathrubhoomi youth organization Ramesh Poojary, Chandra Poojary Kalmadi and school vehicle driver Ravi were present.