MERC Professor visits GMS Onagam, advocates activity based learning

Bandipora, Apr 28:  Renowned columnist and Professor at Media Education Research Centre (MERC), University of Kashmir, Dr Syeda Afshana engaged in an interactive session with the students of Govt Girls Middle School, Onagam Bandipora. The session was organised by the Headmaster Javaid Jawad and saw active participation from both students and teachers.

During the engaging exchange of ideas with the students, Dr Afshana emphasised the rapidly evolving educational landscape, and stressed upon the importance of activity-based learning as the need of the hour. She also encouraged the students to limit their use of mobile phones and instead, embrace the wonders of nature.

"Children should learn to explore and observe their surroundings, since nature serves as the best teacher," remarked Dr Afshana. "We should instill a sense of self-learning (exploration) among the students and encourage them to seek knowledge beyond the confines of the classroom", she added.

The insightful session led by Dr Afshana aimed to inspire a new mindset among the students, promoting active engagement with the natural world and fostering a spirit of curiosity and discovery. During the session, moderated by Javaid Jawad, students posed different questions to the learned author.

Prof Afshana emphasised the importance of arresting the trend of exclusively presenting a particular group of professionals as role models before the students. She highlighted the need to instill in students the understanding and appreciation of all professionals and professions, ensuring that they recognise the value and contributions of diverse career paths.

On behalf of the school, Javaid Jawad extended his heartfelt gratitude to Dr Afshana for her enlightening and inspiring session with the students. "Her profound insights into the pivotal role of teachers in shaping the minds and personalities of children have left an indelible mark on all of us. We are truly grateful for her valuable time and wisdom, which have undoubtedly sparked a sense of aspiration and motivation among our students," he said.

The impact of Dr Afshana's words was evident in the admiration expressed by Arifa, the class eighth student who aspires to follow in Dr Afsana's footsteps as a writer. "We are deeply appreciative of Dr. Afsana's dedication to fostering a sense of purpose and empowerment among our students. We look forward to more enriching interactions in the future, as we truly believe that such engagements contribute significantly to the holistic development of our students. Thank you, Dr. Afsana, for being an inspiration and for igniting the flames of ambition among our young minds,"Jawad said in his concluding remarks.