The Search For Good Speech
Today’s society is faced with several concerns regarding the challenges faced with students who use foul language. We at United International School desired to create an awareness of the situation and highlight the power of words, challenging the students thinking towards foul language. This plan included the use symbolism that represented the campaign and helped convey the message effectively. The students actively participated in this campaign through conducting interviews, performing skits, mimes and participating in an enthusiastic rally around the school corner that was accompanied slogan that delivered the message against the use of foul language and a pledge that will allow them to formally promise in the presence of the school authorities to refrain from using foul language
The goal of this campaign was to challenge the students to create a more civil environment that encourages growth and aimed to genuinely bring about a change in behaviour.
The campaign began on June 9th, 2023 and was inaugurated during the special assembly on World Environment Day. The principal addressed the students with a short message about the “No Foul Words” campaign and inaugurated the beginning of the 3-week campaign by ripping apart a black chart that consisted of symbols that represented foul language. The students performed an intriguing mime that portrayed the effects of using foul language. The theme “Be the Change” was highlighted to encourage the students to start the change in them.
On 13 June 2023, a rally was organized which included students from the middle school and secondary department guided by the counselors. The students held placards and charts with different slogans that carried the message against foul language. They walked around the school corridors from the ground floor all the way up to the second floor shouting out the words “Bad words, NO! NO! NO!” The rally drew a lot of attention from most of the students.
On 19 June 2023, few secondary students were interviewed by the counselors and students from the middle school, secondary and ISC department walked a silent march in the school assembly. A brief introduction about what the silent march meant was given by the counselor. The students wore black masks with a red cross to represent that they won’t open their mouth to speak foul words. They held the placards and slogans. The placards and charts were displayed on different floors.
On 26 June 2023, the grand finale of the campaign took place. As a symbol to the end of the campaign, the Principal locked a box that represented foul words using a big key and discarded the key to show that as the student body, they must choose to lock up all the foul words and to never open their mouth to use them again. Following this, the Principal also led the children in a pledge as a commitment and a promise that they agree to never use foul language.
The campaign was successful in achieving its goal to raise awareness and we continue to work towards encouraging and reminding the students to be their self that represents respect and change in the school environment.