‘Kalai Arangam’ to help school kids hone artistic skills

Madurai: Following the success of ‘Kalai Thiruvizha’ last year, where government school students showcased their talents and creativity in various art forms, this year, under ‘Kalai Arangam,’ regular extra-curricular classes will be held for Class VI to IX students of government schools.In Madurai district, 161 part-time and full-time teachers will be conducting classes in visual arts, drawing, music, dance, drama, etc., to encourage students to develop their skills apart from academics. On Tuesday, Madurai’s chief education officer K Karthika inaugurated the ‘Kalai Arangam’ classes under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan at T Kunnathur Government Higher Secondary School and interacted with students.“Last year, from October onwards, artists were roped in to teach students in some of the government schools ahead of the ‘Kalai Thiruvizha.’ Now, the initiative is being extended to have teachers regularly conduct classes in different extracurricular activities for all Class VI to IX students in all government middle, high, and higher secondary schools,” said an official. Students can choose any activity of their choice from among the five categories, including visual arts, music, dance, folk arts, drama, and puppetry. The classes will be scheduled so that a student attends one class a week without interfering with regular classes in school.School education department officials said that in the next phase, artists will be selected to take classes in schools near their residences, as they played a major role in helping government school students prepare for performing in the 'Kalai Thiruvizha' last year. “This is aimed at promoting local artists and improving their livelihood. Once the artists are enrolled, they will be assigned to schools within their locality, where they can conduct four classes per week in different schools. Interacting directly with artists has also sparked an interest among students in pursuing art forms. The artists will be paid for their classes,” added the official.