Newspaper in Education Programme for 2007-08 launched

Chennai:“Reading is like a Paracetamol. Any problem we have in the course of our student career, the only solution to it is reading,” said M. Kailasam, Senior Principal, Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School, at the launch of the Newspaper in Education (NIE) Programme for 2007-08 here on Wednesday. The Newspaper in Education Programme aims at teaching schoolchildren to read the newspaper and making reading an enjoyable experience. Resource personnel with a passion for teaching go to various schools and use the newspaper as a tool to aid in education.

Reading the newspaper everyday would “create thinking abilities and a creative and analytical mind,” N. Krishnan, Regional General Manager (Circulation), The Hindu  said. He added that apart from reading the newspaper, schoolchildren would also be taught life skills, public speaking and various other skills depending on the class they were in. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, The Hindu launched the NIE programme in 48 schools in 2004. Last year, the programme was held in more than 250 schools and catered to over 78,000 students.“It is a fun-filled programme,” said S. Poornima, coordinator and trainer of the NIE programme.

She added that NIE aimed at facilitating the habit of reading among schoolchildren. This year, the NIE programme’s target is 350 schools and one lakh students.A student of Velammal School, who had been through the programme last year, said it taught students time management and the importance of body language.