Reviving tradition to ignite young minds: Sankara Rao’s unique method

Vizianagaram: In a small classroom at GT Peta Social School in Mentada Mandal, a blend of rhythmic beats and storytelling fills the air. This isn’t just a music class —it's history, geography, civics, and economics brought to life through folk art.

The innovative teacher behind this method is Bonthalakoti Sankara Rao, a veteran social studies teacher who combines traditional folk arts with education, transforming the way students engage with subjects like never before.

Social studies often proves challenging for students, with its endless lists of dates, facts, and concepts. But Sankara Rao, with nearly two decades of experience, has revolutionised this by integrating folk art forms such as Burrakatha, Harikatha, Kolatam, and Jamukula Katha into his lessons. Students perform these traditional arts to explain complex topics, turning abstract concepts into memorable, interactive experiences.

For instance, students in classes 6 to 10 perform Burrakatha or Harikatha, using storytelling, music, and rhythm to teach about India’s freedom struggle, democracy, and governance. In history lessons, Kolatam—a traditional dance—is used to represent key events, making complex historical timelines and geography easier to understand. Sankara Rao also uses rhythmic storytelling like Tappeda Gullu and Budabukkala Katha to teach economics and ecology, such as forest conservation.

The key to Sankara Rao’s method is student involvement. He trains a small group of students, typically four to five—from each class to perform the folk art-based lessons for their peers. This active participation not only makes the learning process fun but also empowers students to become both learners and teachers, strengthening their grasp of the material.

V Thanuja, a class 10 student, shares, “We use Kolatam to explain civics and India’s democracy. It makes the lesson come alive.” Younger students, like M Indu from class 6, perform Burrakatha to teach the importance of protecting forests. “It’s a fun way to learn something so important,” says Indu. A passionate musician, Sankara Rao plays instruments like the keyboard and dolak to captivate his students. He believes that music and rhythm reach students in ways that traditional teaching methods can’t.

His dedication has earned him numerous accolades, including the Rashtrapati Award and National Best Teacher Award, yet he remains focused on his mission: inspiring students to learn in engaging, memorable ways.

Sankara Rao’s approach is having a ripple effect, inspiring teachers across schools to adopt similar techniques. By blending folk art with academics, he has revived traditional cultural forms while making education more dynamic and relevant, proving that creativity can be a powerful tool in the classroom.