Government School in Tamil Nadu Opens 'Honesty Store' to Teach Children Honesty

To ensure that children learn speaking truth and life-oriented lessons, from a nascent age, a school in Tamil Nadu has set up 'Honesty store' within its premises.

The quality of speaking the truth and being honest, is what elders would always want the youth to imbibe.

To ensure that children learn all the good qualities, especially speaking truth and life-oriented lessons, from a nascent age, a school in Tamil Nadu has set up 'Honesty store' within its premises.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, a store by a panchayat Union Middle School near Aranthangi in Pudukkottai sells wide array of stationery items which students see, chose and take home the ones of their choice. They can put the amount for the item that they wish to take, in a box that is kept on the table in the shop itself. No one is there to monitor the actions of children visiting this shop.

The idea of starting this store cropped up in the mind of a Mathematics teacher of the school named Mekala. The teacher told the daily that the main purpose to start such a store is to teach children "life-oriented" lessons.

"We want them (children) to be self-aware and honest," the teacher said.

Each item in the store carries a price tag and students visiting the store themselves pick what they want without anyone to supervise them. "The pay the amount promptly," the teacher added.

An English teacher of the school, S Baskaran told the daily that many a times, they even come across students asking for some books or items which are not available or sold in their villages. "We purchase what is required. Every month, we make sales anywhere between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,200," S Baskaran was quoted as saying.

Teachers say that the practice has been so far successful in helping students learn the way of managing expenses. The Mathematics teacher said that when students do not have exact amount for the item they learn to get the remaining amount for it. "It helps them relate to what they learn in classroom," the teacher added.

Parents are the happy lot as they feel their wards are learning qualities which are essential for any human being. They feel that with the help "Honesty store" their children have bring about a positive change in their lives.

"They make sure to speak the truth and we are happy about it. A little act of honesty can help shape their career drastically," the daily quoted a class VI student's parent saying.