Kids learning centre in Salooni

Our Correspondent

Salooni (Chamba), April 13

The first dedicated children’s library and activity centres of the state government are all set to be opened for the public in the Salooni subdivision of Chamba district.

The first such children learning centre was inaugurated by Salooni Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kiran Bhadana at Talori on Tuesday, while the second such centre in Salooni is scheduled to open on Friday.

“These centres have been built with the purpose of nurturing the natural curiosity of children through play and instilling a habit of reading among them from young age,” Bhadana said.

About 200 books in English and Hindi have been made available in each of the centres for children from 3 to 15 years. Besides, a wide range of materials for fun-and-learning activity, including puzzles, globes, modeling clay, trampolines, games and toys, have been procured.

Even the floors at the centres have been designed as an educational tool, following the Building as Learning Aid system that incorporates the building itself as a learning aid. The SDM has preferred to augment existing unused and underutilised infrastructure of the area rather than building new infrastructure from the scratch — a model she had successfully applied previously while setting up five libraries in Salooni for the youth and aspirants preparing for state service exams.

These centres were set-up with the help of CSR funding provided by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) which was facilitated by DC Rana, Chamba DC.