400 Students, One Dastarkhan:

Bandipora, 28 Sep : PM Shri Government Secondary School Laharwalpora today celebrated Bagless Day with an inter-school programme featuring Quiz, Speech, Naat and Tilawat competitions, bringing together more than 400 students and teachers from four government schools.
Students and teachers from Middle School Reshi Mohalla, Primary School Hum Mohalla, Primary School Fisherman Colony and the host PM Shri Government Secondary School Laharwalpora participated in the unique educational and cultural gathering.
The most distinctive feature of the event was the joint Dastarkhan, where more than 400 students and teachers sat together on the school lawns and shared Namkeen Tea and traditional chapatis (rootis). The entire arrangement was planned and executed by the students of the host school, giving them a practical opportunity to develop life skills, teamwork, leadership, cooperation, hospitality and event-management skills.
The students prepared around 500 rootis for the gathering. Ten groups, each comprising five students, took responsibility for preparing the chapatis, while the tea was served in traditional Samawars on the green lawns of the school. From planning and preparing the food to organising the gathering and serving the guests, students actively participated in different aspects of event management, making the experience a practical lesson in responsibility and collective action.
The event also provided a platform for students to demonstrate their talents in Quiz, Public Speaking, Naat and Tilawat. A total of 60 students were awarded stationery items as prizes, serving as a token of appreciation for their participation, talent and performance.
The prizes were distributed by the Imam of Jamia Masjid, Khursheed Anwar Nadi, who appreciated the participation of students and the efforts of the participating schools in creating meaningful learning experiences beyond the conventional classroom.
In his presidential address, Imam Khursheed Anwar Nadi urged the students to actively help their parents in household work and to respect and act upon their parents’ advice. He emphasised that education should also nurture values such as respect, responsibility, obedience and service towards family and society.
Speaking on the occasion, Javaid Jawad, HOI, PM Shri Government Secondary School Laharwalpora, expressed heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers, students, guests and participating schools for making the programme a success.
He said that this was the third Bagless Day event organised by the school, in keeping with the provisions of NEP 2020, which seeks to provide students with experiential, holistic and skill-oriented learning opportunities.
He said the real purpose of such an initiative was to provide children with experiences that prepare them for life.
“Today, our students were not merely participants; they became organisers, hosts, cooks, servers and team leaders. They learnt how to plan an event, divide responsibilities, work in teams, manage resources and welcome guests. These are life skills that cannot always be learnt from textbooks,” he said.
The event concluded with a strong message that education is not confined to classrooms and examinations. It is also about creativity, cooperation, culture, responsibility, practical skills and learning to live and work together.
The joint Dastarkhan, student-led arrangements and inter-school competitions turned the Bagless Day into a meaningful experiential learning opportunity, where 400+ students learnt not only through participation but also through doing, organising and sharing.