The schools of our valley start their work early in the morning around 9 a.m. It is Tun Tun Tun from the bell urging staff and students to assemble. The morning assembly is the epitome of holistic development and sets a tone for learning. The recitation of the religious verses, poetry , and news all make it charming. The students of different houses get the responsibility of showcasing their talent in maintaining discipline.
Morning assembly is not a mere formality but the fountain from which springs of the concept of all-round development.

Iqbal puts the importance of morning as :
" The blot of night's ink from time's page has been removed !
The star from the sky like a spurious picture has been removed !
When your beauty appears at the balcony of heaven !
Our eyes are freed from the drunkenness of sleep !

The loop holes that can be seen while conducting morning assembly in government schools in most of the cases are :
The morning assembly is taken as a mere formality and passing time. The class fourth employee in many cases can be seen arranging lines in the government schools for the morning assembly. Teachers can be seen either sitting waiting for the morning assembly to finish or preparing lessons for the classes thereby killing the very essence of morning assembly. In some cases the whole responsibility of conducting morning assembly is enshrined on the shoulders of the physical education teacher.
The houses/clubs made for the smooth conduct of morning assembly in government schools exist on paper only in many cases . The cornerstone for the holistic development gets killed. The concept of community development that is to bring whole staff and teachers together to strengthen the bond suffers degradation.
In some schools a single staff member is tagged as a bold speaker and is given the responsibility of speaking during morning assembly on all days. The others watch and dub themselves shy. These shy staffers tend to encourage students to come to the front and speak. It is so ironic. If your heart is a volcano how shall you expect flowers to bloom in your hands ?.Kahlil Gibran rightly says ," you can find a treasure when you dig with the confidence of peasant.
In some cases it can be seen teachers discussing family issues in the lawn itself where morning assembly is conducted that too loudly forgetting it is a platform to teach moral ethics , ethics and civic responsibility.
In most of the cases a single student can be seen anchoring the morning assembly programmes through out the session . We as teachers fail to create opportunities for others. We fail to groom the majority.
The mic systems in some schools are pathetic and below standard . Least interest is given to the mic system. This falters the system display during morning assembly.
The responsibility of Head of the institute is to give as much importance to the morning assembly as to the regular class work. It is a bed rock for the holistic development. The students who actively participate in morning assembly secure their future . It is an observed fact that most of the leaders , politicians, advocates had been very active in the morning assembly during their schooling.
The inspection during morning assembly from higher ups is rarely expected as office timings of government offices other than schools and school timings in the morning do not match . A regular inspection early in the morning can infuse life in it.
Last year monitoring teams comprising educationists of the higher secondaries were formed under complex heads . These teams could rejuvenate the morning assembly in the government schools. The documents they were supposed to fill and the domain they were advised to check has "conduct of morning assembly"as a main part. They were giving on spot assistance to the teachers for effective ways of conducting morning assembly.
The students are roses and their day in the school begins in the morning assembly. They will refresh the atmosphere with their rosy fragrance if they are handled properly with a little bit of more push. It reminds me of Kahlil Gibran on Song Of The Flower :

I am a kind word uttered and repeated
By the voice of nature;
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
At dawn I unite with the breeze
To announce the coming of light;
At eventide I join the birds
In bidding the light farewell.
The plains are decorated with
My beautiful colours, And the air
Is scented with my fragrance.
As I embrace slumber the eyes of Night watch over me , And as I
Awaken I stare at the sun,Which is
The only eye of the day.
I look up high to see only the light,
And never look down to see my shadow.

Email:----------------muntashirkifayat@gmail.com