A government school in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir is bridging the gap between young students and elders.
The students of Government Girls Middle School Onagam Bandipora over the last few months have been meeting local elders under the “Know your elders” programme.
“The aim is not only to introduce the young generation to their elders but also to benefit from their experiences,” Headmaster GMS Onagam, Javaid Jawad said. “ In addition, to make the elders feel that the society values them so that they do not feel deprived in old age.”
Around a dozen senior citizens have so far been invited to the school and in one case children went to the residence of an elderly man. The elders who met the school children have excelled in various fields and are well known in the area.
“… I never knew that children meeting elderly people known for their great zeal and dedication in their active service would feel mutually electrified. Apart from children, these interactions meant much more for the elderly than I had imagined. I wish we all get time to frequently visit all elderly and take kids along,” Jawad said.
The young students recently went to meet an elder at his home. Ghulam Ahmad Bhat, who used to practice as a Petition writer and passed his class X examination from Lahore University.
Seeing the little children dressed in uniform, Bhat was elated. As soon as the children came forward and started shaking his hands, his eyes sparkled with happiness. He was extremely happy to see the children.
“It was a wonderful meeting and children got to know many things,” the headmaster said, adding that the activity would be a regular part of the academic activities.
