Schoolkids get lessons in marketing at artificial haats

Koraput: In a district often characterized by its remote geography and limited resources, Malkangiri is now emerging as a trailblazer in innovative education. The district administration has initiated an artificial market system in schools, giving students hands-on experience with essential marketing skills they will need in life.
The brainchild of collector (Malkangiri) Ashish Ishwar Patil, the artificial markets have transformed schools into bustling centres of commerce, albeit in a controlled and educational environment.Students from primary and upper primary levels are given the opportunity to both buy and sell goods, learning the ropes of trading, transactions, and market management.
“Through the artificial weekly market, students are learning how to calculate costs, handle weights and measures, and even perform cashless transactions via cellphone,” says Bijay Laxmi Chowdhury, planning coordinator of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Malkangiri.
The artificial markets are organized weekly in schools across the district, turning classrooms and courtyards into simulated market environments. The students, playing both sellers and buyers, engage in mock transactions, learning key life skills through real-time participation.
“It was a unique experience for me to sell clothes at the artificial market,” says Kanika Ray, a Class VIII student from MPV 83 Upper Primary Project School where the artificial market was organized on Wednesday. “I learnt how to measure fabrics and how to accept payments through cashless transactions,” she added. Bidhan Chandra Haldar, the principal of MPV 83 Upper Primary Project School, shares how the markets are integrated into the schools daily routines. “We use vegetables and groceries from the mid-day meal to stock the stalls, while other stationery items and books are brought in from outside,” said Behera.
“Our teachers mentor the students in managing transactions and make them aware of marketing tactics to ensure they aren’t cheated while buying or selling,” he added.