Shikor: Where learning is joy

With a view to introduce children to their cultural roots, Chhayanaut has been running Shikor, a special programme for young ones, for the last eight years. This first programme of its kind in Bangladesh aims at enlightening children between 6-13 about culture, history and the heritage of the nation.

Chhayanaut authorities hope that the programme will help children develop their intellectual faculties and guide them to grow into better human beings.

Shikor differs from traditional competitive schooling which largely rests on examinations; rather, it promotes an open learning platform where children are encouraged to take part in cultural activities. The programme incorporates music, painting, dance, physical exercise, recitation, acting, and sports.

As part of the programme, children are exposed to the rich cultural and historical heritage of the country. They are regularly taken on excursions to places of historical importance which gives them insights into the history of this region. Also, they are introduced to traditional fruits and delicacies like pitha and other delights.

The programme runs throughout Baishakh to Chaitra of the Bangla calendar every year, and students are enrolled only once a year in Baishakh.

About the programme, Chhaynaut's vice president Sarwar Ali said, “We are receiving favourable feedback from both the students and guardians. We request other schools in Dhaka to introduce the same programme aside from the existing system. If they do so, we will give them logistical support since we have the experience of running this programme.”

Khairul Anam Shakil, general secretary of Chhayanaut said, “We are trying to create a culture-conscious generation as we believe cultural identity is the main identity of a nation. We have a thousand-year-old heritage but our young generation is getting deviated from it. It is high time we took some measures to spread culture across the country. We have contacted several schools and they have shown interest in introducing our programme.”