fun School

On choco-break

This is one bribe that we would not mind receiving. The headteacher at Recastle Furze Primary in Thetford, Norfolk, UK, has got his students to behave themselves by offering them chocolates as an incentive. And it seems to have worked. The number of expulsions in the school has come down from 65 to zero. In fact, the incentive system was extended and children were given a free school disco at Christmas, a hog roast at the end of the summer term and an Easter egg if they could maintain their no-expulsions record. The initiative has been criticised for harming children’s dental health and promoting obesity, though. Whether the move has been wise or not is best left to the parents to decide. But school would be more fun if all headteachers felt the same way.

write away

Story time

So you think you have a talent for story-telling? Here’s your chance to find out. Katha, a social organisation in New Delhi, has launched a nationwide hunt for master story-tellers and artists through its short story writing and illustration contest. The contest is open to school students all over India from classes VIII to XII. The last date for submission of stories and illustrations is September 15, 2008. The winners will get to attend workshops with an eminent writer. For details contact Gowri Palachandran at 011-2686-8193 or e-mail at bestpractices@katha.org.