Snakes and ladders catch kids’ fancy

Divya Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 19

The game of snakes and ladders has been catching the students’ fancy at Government Elementary School, Ram Bagh Gate. Revamped under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), the school has got a complete makeover.

“Earlier, the school was dilapidated. But now, I love coming here,” said a tiny tot at the school.

Its building was built in the British era. Now, it has been given a new look with more classrooms, better courtyard and play area for the kids without destroying the colonial look. The kids of the school are fond of the snakes and ladder game, and hopscotch in its courtyard. The game of snakes and ladder has been designed to make student aware of good and evil.

The conservation project was carried out by noted architect and conservationist Gurmeet Sangha Rai. She is the city anchor for the HRIDAY project. “We have created the original version of snakes and ladders, inspired by Moskhapadam, created by a 13th century poet,” said Rai.

“In the original version, there was a concept of good and evil. It is an effort to make students aware of the difference between good and evil,” she said.

With this, the students have now started coming to the school regularly. “It’s wonderful to come here in this school,” said Vandana, a student of Class I. “The number of students has gone up from around 80 to 120. I have been working here for years. Earlier, parents were not ready to send their wards. We have better infrastructure now,” said teacher Charanjit Kaur.

“With more rooms, we can focus on students. Earlier, two classes were being taken in one room,” said Jaswinder Singh, head teacher, Government Elementary School, Ram Bagh Gate.