A school’s attempt to rekindle the lost culture of radio listening

Avanthika S. Nair, a student of Athmananda Vilasam Sanskrit Upper Primary School, Thazhakara, listening to the radio received from the institution at her home.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

At a time when smartphones and digital screens dominate young minds, Athmananda Vilasam (AV) Sanskrit Upper Primary School at Thazhakara, near Mavelikara, is bringing back the old-world charm of radio listening to shape a better future for its students.

The government-aided institution, with a rich history of nearly 150 years, has embarked on a mission to rekindle the fading culture of radio by handing out radios to all its pupils. To further promote media literacy and reduce smartphone screen time, students are encouraged to tune in to radio for at least 30 minutes daily at home and share key takeaways from the programmes they hear — whether news, educational or cultural content — in the school assembly, fostering both learning and creativity.

The school, with 60 students enrolled in Classes V, VI and VII, distributed the radios recently under the aegis of the school management committee.

‘Invisible teacher’

Muraleedharan Thazhakara, chairman of the school management committee, terms radio an “invisible teacher” and sees the initiative as a way to revive the lost culture of radio listening. “When the idea of distributing radios to students emerged, school manager K.G. Ajith Kumar and others supported it wholeheartedly. Within two weeks, we acquired 65 radios with the support of alumni, the Parent-Teacher Association and others and distributed them to both students and teachers,” says Mr. Muraleedharan, a retired programme executive at All India Radio.

For students like Avanthika S. Nair, a Class V student, the habit of listening to the radio has already become part of daily life. She now listens to the “news and other programmes every morning” and her family has also begun tuning in regularly.

Teachers at the school believe the practice of radio listening will have long-term benefits for students’ attention and comprehension skills. “We are already seeing improvements,” says Aswini Rajan, a teacher at the school. “Each day, two students share their insights from the programmes they listened to in the school assembly. The practice is enhancing their general knowledge and language skills and all students are participating enthusiastically,” she adds.

Each radio costs around ₹2,400 and functions on both electrical power and battery. The school has also started plantain cultivation on its campus with the help of students, parents and teachers.