In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers at Manassery Government Upper Primary School in the hill town of Mukkam Kozhikode faced a peculiar situation.
They found that a large number of children at the school, which has more than 1,000 students, had left because of vomiting, stomach aches or diarrhea. The students, especially the 1st class students, did not have proper daily habits and did not follow hygiene. They were not toilet trained and did not wash their hands regularly, said teacher Midhun K.
Mr. Midhun, who started his teaching career just before COVID-19, shared the school’s experience and how they tackled the problem at the “South Indian States Academy Interschool Leadership Seminar” in the state capital on Tuesday, recalling that after the pandemic, teachers observed the inability of children to follow routines and the inability of parents to instill in them the importance of it.
“Once children returned to school after COVID-19, they demanded a bathroom break every 10 minutes. Some children did not brush their teeth before coming to school. Others did not know how to clean themselves.”
To find a solution, the school group brainstormed and decided to organize an awareness course for students. However, they know that the conventional format of such a class will not help the students in any way, so they came up with the idea of a one-day camp called “Habit Lab” for students and their parents. All 80 first graders were divided into groups. The teacher, dressed as cartoon characters, told a story, during which the children engaged in various activities.
Brushing, using the toilet, breakfast habits, laundry were all demonstrated to the children through storytelling at the camp held last year. In order for the children to help their parents in the kitchen, they were shown how to prepare food. Children are also introduced to the concept of good and bad touch so that they can protect themselves from unwanted advances.
The star grade increased students’ enthusiasm for the activities. A bonus was the campfire at the end and gifts.
The camp had a huge impact on the children. They wrote favorably about the camp in their diary ‘Samyuktha’, in which the events of each day are recorded. Parents reported that students began to do things independently and even shared their newly acquired “knowledge” with other family members.
“The school has also started using soap and water in the classroom so students can wash their hands regularly. They no longer have to be told to do it,” says Mr Midhun.
Based on the results of Habit Lab, the school plans to expand it to other classes. “Habit Lab helped introduce students to a routine that was lost during the pandemic. We are now thinking of turning our attention to social media addiction among students in other grades,” says Mr. Midhun.
Published – 04 Nov 2025 21:14 IST
