Sharada Vidyaniketana School in Mangaluru has introduced Agriculture science as a mandatory subject for students from 5th to 10th standard.
Every Saturday, 800 students at Sharada Vidyaniketana School in Talapady step out of their classrooms and take to the agriculture field, digging the soil and sowing seeds.
Students between the ages of 10 to 15 are now being familiarised with concepts previously alien to them, such as manure, soil preparation, difference between integrated and mixed farming.
The school has cut out 3.5 acres of land on a trial basis for cultivation and has hired full-time faculty to train the students on the nuances of growing crops.
Ms Deepa, a faculty for Agriculture Science at the school says, “On being asked where tomatoes come from, a student replied that it came from the market. This made us realise that there is an urgent need to take students back to their roots.”
Deepa admitted that the efforts to involve students in agriculture were done to improve their connection with nature.
“By taking students on farms, they are actually turning cultivators. They not only produce food but it also makes them appreciate, respect and conserve nature in a much better manner,” says Deepa.
