Karur: In an era driven by technology, now, even the government schools in Tamil Nadu are witnessing infrastructural transformation like smart touchscreen classrooms, computer labs, and advanced laboratories. Following the trend of technology-based education, a government school teacher here went one step ahead and came up with an innovative way to connect young students with the wisdom of Thirukkural, a classic Tamil language text penned by famous Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, comprising 1330 short couplets, or kurals, of seven words each.
Manoharan, the teacher posted at Velliyanai Government Primary School in Karur district, has developed a modern QR code-based method to learn the verses of Thirukkural, making the Tamil literature more engaging for students.
The initiative has received great response from the students. When ETV Bharat correspondent went to the School, he was accompanied by headmaster Dharmalingam to the classroom for a visual experience of the changes in the education system.
Thirukkural Through QR Code
Manoharan, who has designed the Thirukkural QR code, said, "As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari, the Tamil Nadu government invited school students to participate in various Thirukkural-related competitions. After this, I thought of developing a digital collection of 50 Thirukkurals to make it easier for students from Class 3 to 5, with each of the verses having simple explanations. Students will feel motivated through this type of learning method."
"Since children today are increasingly using mobile phones, I took up this initiative thinking this would make learning meaningful and engaging for them. My goal is to help the students memorise all 1330 Thirukkurals quickly, going beyond their textbooks. The approach has received support from the school headmaster, backed by District Education Officer and other officials of education department," Manoharan said.
School headmaster Dharmalingam said, "At a time when private schools are mushrooming in Tamil Nadu, we are proud that modern learning tools in government school in helping students stick to their roots. Students are now learning Thirukkural using touchscreen computers and tabs provided by the Tamil Nadu government,” he said.
Students Too Are Proud
Yazhini, a student of the school, shared her excitement saying, "Studying at Velliyanai Primary School has been amazing experience. With this QR code method, the learning process of Thirukkural has become easier. I have memorized more than 40 Thirukkurals so far through this QR system. The best part is I understand the meaning, so there is no chance of forgetting anything."
Another student Periya Kumar, studying in the fifth standard of the same school, said, "I got my parents’ mobile phone and used it to read Thirukkural instead of watching entertainment videos. My parents are now proud."
