Bhopal: Retired teacher sets up class in colony temple, spreads moral values

BHOPAL: Chitra Rashinkar is 64 years old and after retiring from her job of teacher she continued with her passion of teaching children small Sanskrit shlokas and moral values. Seeing this, somebody suggested her to start taking classes and teach children moral values. The idea clicked her immediately and she started a new innings of her life on the temple campus of her area, naming her venture Sanskaar class. Every Sunday morning, children gather in the temple and learn moral values from her in the form of stories.

She says, “I initially tried to teach them shlokas but soon realised it will look like a Sanskrit class and my aim was to teach them moral values so that they can become good citizens. So I chose to tell them stories in which I include shlokas, this way they remembered more. I also tell them mythological stories behind festivals we celebrate. Children nowadays don’t know the real story behind festivals as mere textbook knowledge misses many facts. Children showed great response to this and took great interest in my teaching.”

Not just classes, children also dramatise their learning and perform it in festivals too. She said what made her proud was when children very efficiently taught others the right way of behaving.

“Children teach peers what they learn from me. Even a few teachers have called me to congratulate on my effort and said my children displayed a sense of maturity when it came to respecting elders. I feel that my motto has been successful. Since the time I left teaching I felt incomplete but now I feel more responsible,” Rashinkar added.