In Jammu and Kashmir, a special teacher training programme on employing art-based tools to improve children's emotional well-being and academic achievement was begun on Sunday, officials said.
The Kashmir and Jammu divisions' Directorates of School Education teamed up with the Piramal Foundation (Kaivalya Education Foundation) and the Red Pencil Humanitarian Mission to create the arts-based capacity building and training (ACBT) programme.
"It is a theoretical base derived from the framework of collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning that emphasises self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, self-management and responsible decision-making," an official said. The aim is to improve the overall socio-emotional wellbeing of students, especially the ones who cannot express their concerns and grievances verbally, officials said. It was launched jointly by the Director of School Education, Jammu and Kashmir divisions, Ravi Shankar Sharma and Tasaduq Hussain Mir on Saturday.
According to officials, the project will train 150 teachers in the first phase, 75 from each of the Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Sharma said the ACBT initiative will be beneficial in rural places such as Poonch, Kishtwar, and Reasi because of the necessity of counselling students and how art therapy can equip instructors with skills to ensure the all-round development of children. ACBT, according to Mir, will go a long way toward assisting the next generation in managing their ideas so that kids may study in a free and fair atmosphere.
