LUCKNOW: Lucknow University has come up with some innovative techniques to improve students’ attendance in government primary schools.These techniques, also known as two-minute activities, will be introduced in LU’s bachelor in education (BEd) curriculum from the new session, slated to begin in December.Under it, BEd students will be taught things like toymaking and basket-making skills using straws and grass. The aim is to use creativity as a tool to increase the interest of students in studies, promote the use of biodegradable things, teach students how to make toys and give up the use of plastic toys to save the environment.The idea has been mooted by LU scholar Ram Das, who is in research in the education department. During his research, Das received a positive response from students n rural areas when he introduced the two-minute activities.“I got the idea during my visit to Mizoram where I saw handicraft being used to engage students. The biggest problem in government primary schools is that either students don’t turn up or they run away in between the classes. Initially, I began distributing toys to make them attend classes but later when I taught them how to make the toys the response even better,” said Das.He said as grass, straws, bamboos and sticks were available free of cost, students began bringing them to the classroom to learn how to make a small baskets, kitchen set and toys.“It was a two-minute craft which made them regular to schools and many of them expressed to make a career in this eco-friendly toy-making field when they grow up,” he said. In, fact, atteandance went up by 70% in schools where I was teaching, Das claimed. He will now teach these activities to BEd students of Lucknow University.“BEd students will get to learn extra skills through inclusion of these activities in the curriculam,” said Prof Dinesh Kumar of the education department.

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