Ranchi, Oct. 23: Schools in the city will soon start special classes to keep students away from intoxicants and other such vices.

The special classes for schoolchildren, designed by the Lions Club International under its Lions Quest programme, will begin from November. The classes will be conducted for students between 9 and 14 years of age.

The club has also decided to conduct a two-day workshop from November 18 to train teachers from 13 schools in the city to train teachers on how to handle students and understand their psyche.

According to sources, the teachers will get training by professionals hired by the Lions Club. Two teachers from every school will be taught how to handle students so that the minors would stay away from bad habits, they added.

Lions Club International director A.P. Singh said, apart from forbidding students from drugs and other intoxicants, the programme also includes detailed discussions with parents and guardians so that a child will have a sound atmosphere at home as well.

?The programme also includes discussions on sexual awareness, which is a taboo in many families. In such cases, it has been seen that children fall prey to bad habits and can never turn back,? he added.

Reiterating the importance of a friendly child-parent and a student-teacher relationship, former club international director Prem Lahoti said elders should always encourage children to speak freely in front of them.

?In the programme, a child should feel free to discuss any topic with his parents and teachers. Whenever there is a communication gap between a child and his parents or teachers, problems are bound to occur,? Lahoti added.

The club council chairman Ram Mohta said, apart from launching the Lions Quest programme, the club will also start the second phase of the Sight First programme, which involves the eradication of blindness from the country.