Dignity of Labour

Dignity of Labor
Our school principal was very particular about cleanliness. Our school had pupils attending classes from 1 to 12. The pupils of the primary section, i.e., from classes 1 to 4, were taught not to litter. The classrooms were swept and dusted in the morning before classes began, and the pupils were encouraged to maintain as much cleanliness as possible. Scribbling on the furniture and walls was discouraged. The pupils were told to put up charts, paintings, and drawings on the chartboards, and these enhanced the beauty of the room.
The students in higher classes were taught to keep the classrooms clean by sweeping the rooms themselves. The monitor of the class would draw up a chart assigning "sweeping duty" to the students, and the duty was assigned according to the roll numbers. Two students were assigned "duty" each day, and in case a student was absent, the student with the next roll number had to take his/her turn. It was a co-ed school, and pupils had to take turns irrespective of their gender. The dignity of labour was imbued really early in our lives. We did our duty grudgingly but cleaned properly lest we had to redo our work, which was supervised by the class teacher. All the students contributed money for the broom. This activity served multiple purposes- it spoke volumes on the dignity of labour, gender neutrality, and promoted a sense of responsibility, planning, and cooperation among the pupils all in a go. There were no lengthy lectures given to encourage the students on these topics; just a practical application of it all.
Our principal went a step ahead and decided to award a shield to the best-maintained class. Each week, the shield would have a new winner. There was a sense of competition, and each class tried everything to win. We planned how best to keep the class clean. We put up charts on the chart board and decorated the teacher's table with a tablecloth, a flower vase, a pretty chalk box, etc. We kept the room clean throughout the day, as the class inspection could be done at any time of the day. We did not shy away from borrowing ideas from the other classes. We were pretty sure that the shield belonged to us. But Alas! We did not win the first time. During the lunchbreak, we walked up to the class that had been declared winners, just to know what we were lacking, came back, and discussed how to improve. We tried every idea possible, but the senior classes always won. We had almost given up. However, we continued to do whatever we could.
Then one day, we were declared winners in the assembly. We could not believe our ears, and our class monitor stood transfixed. He remained in a trance and went up to get the shield only when we told him "Jaa lekar aa". We could not contain our joy, and the moment we got back to our class, we rushed to touch the shield. Our class teacher was pleased with our success. She encouraged us to keep the class clean and win the shield each week.
We read fancy articles about the Dignity of Labor and how the Western world abides by it, but our principal, in his humble way, in a far corner of the world, had inculcated this value in his students, and I feel proud to be one of them. I have extended this and taught my sons to do the dishes, clear the table after eating, and do other simple household chores.