A primary school in Kaushambi district of Prayagraj is using the popular ‘Snakes and Ladders’ board game to create awareness among students regarding the importance of looking beyond usual vocations while choosing their career path.
Teachers at the Primary School Perai are using the game to motivate students to be successful in life by climbing the simple ladder of hard work, without worrying too much about the hurdles -- represented by snakes. They are especially encouraging students to dream big and think beyond the professions of their parents.
In this rural area, most students hail from a humble background. Someone’s father is a plumber, someone else’s a carpenter, mason or daily wager. The school authorities are trying to help these children look beyond these professions that would fetch them only a meagre income.
“We help our Class 5 students aspire for more in life instead of settling for small goals. With the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ board game, we create awareness among them about professions of teaching, medicine and engineering, which could make their lives prosperous and help them turn around their family’s fortunes,” said principal Hari Om Singh.
“The game is simple. Rules are similar to the traditional ‘Snakes and Ladders’, with some additional interesting information shared to benefit the students and retain their interest. Children are told not to get disheartened if they slip down due to a ‘snake bite’, for they need to remember that there is always the ‘ladder’ of hard work available to help them make it to the top,” the teacher explained further.
{{/usCountry}}“The game is simple. Rules are similar to the traditional ‘Snakes and Ladders’, with some additional interesting information shared to benefit the students and retain their interest. Children are told not to get disheartened if they slip down due to a ‘snake bite’, for they need to remember that there is always the ‘ladder’ of hard work available to help them make it to the top,” the teacher explained further.
{{/usCountry}}He said the idea was to make students aware of the professions they would normally not think about on account of their rural background and tender age.
“The game is very interesting,” said Tej Singh, a Class 5 student whose father runs a shop. “We learn so much more about professions such as being a bureaucrat, cartoonist, animator, teacher, doctor and engineer,” he said.
Another student Manu Singh said, “It is great fun to play the game with friends and get information about new things at the same time. We learnt a lot from this drill, especially about the various career options open for us.”