By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Three months long Children Festival 2010, of which twocircles.net is an online media partner, is getting closer to its concluding phase in Mumbai. Spread in 3 months, the 30 days long event have been organized as the part of Metro city Project by Jamat-e Islami Hind, Mumbai and Students Islamic organization of India.
According to Hasib Bhatkar, Organiser of Children Festival, the festival, which mainly focuses on the overall development of school students, is the first program of its own kind in the educational history of Mumbai.
However, Mr. Bhatkar also adds that this year focus is only on Urdu Medium schools, which fall under major “deprived” category.
He doesn’t forget to add that the festival has been designed and shaped after long thought process of educationist, psychiatrist and intellectual of the city.
Abdul Qadeer, President SIO Mumbai says, “We are organizing different programmes in Urdu medium schools such as Individual counseling of students and parental guidance through the famous psychiatrist Dr. Machiswala and his group.”
As a part of the festival, Career counseling, Drama Competition and Film festival will be concluded on 18-19 December, 10.
More than 3000 students from 45 schools have participated in the aptitude test by the team of expert Psychologists comprised of more than 50 doctors from Masina Hospitals, Mumbai. Detailed analysis is being done and based on these report Parental Guidance workshops for 6000 parents in 60 schools, will be held where these results will be distributed to them.
Answering to a question that an Islamic organization is holding Film festival, Hasib Bhatkar explains “Film Festival for kids is to provide them alternative value based entertainment thus we will save them from vulgarity and violence and will also try and inculcate positive thoughts and good character among kids.”
He further adds that there are many good films produced in Iran and elsewhere what they are doing is, adding Urdu sub titles and will make nearly 200 films available for kids in the final two days.
Nearly fifteen to twenty thousand students, parents and teachers are expected to attend this festival in these two days event.
Anjuman-e-Islam, Anjuman Khairul Islam and other local Urdu medium schools are all not only participating but co-operating in every manner.
Abu Saleh Ansari, Chairman of Anjuman Khariul Islam group of schools and orphanage is more than happy to support this festival.
“These kinds of events are seldom done for Urdu Medium schools and it should be continued every year especially career guidance, counseling for students and Parents are the need of the hour,” says Mr. Ansari.
Hanif Lakdawala, Lecturer of Akbar Peerbhoy College, and its trustee is devoting his entire time for holding lectures in Schools for Parent and Teachers.
He says, “Now a day’s most of the NGOs are doing career guidance whereas parents and teachers are left.
“In a situation when Muslim parents are less literate or completely illiterate, my focus is on Parental guidance. For the Teachers I like to motivate them and inform them about the modern teaching techniques used by the best of the schools,” adds Mr. Lakdawala.