Baci Short Story Competition focuses on low decile schools

Baci Short Story Competition focuses on low decile schools

The Baci Short Story competition aimed at encouraging creativity in students 11 and under from low decile schools, has been launched for 2015. The eligible decile schools are Decile 1 to 5.

The competition encourages the children to have fun with their imagination and creativity that will contribute to ongoing growing literacy. In Auckland alone there are 99 decile 1-3 schools.

Sponsored by Dr Sharad Paul’s Baci Trust, the competition has evolved from his belief that by encouraging creativity and art, academic performance is improved.

The prize is a $5000 library of books for the school and the individual winner is awarded $100 plus other prizes.

For almost 10 years, at the invitation of the schools, Dr Sharad has been visiting low decile schools in Auckland on a Monday to talk to the students and do some creative writing with them.

“ As a kid who went to school in a bullock cart in India but then went on to do Law and Medicine I want to give something back, work with the children, encourage them to be great, “ said Dr Paul.

“ If there is only one who goes on to fulfill their full potential it will have made it all worthwhile.”

The theme for this year is “You turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To your horror, you saw…..”

“ What started me off on this personal mission is I know creativity improves literacy and numeracy and many of these low-decile school pupils were reading books 3 years behind their higher-decile peers,” continued Dr Paul.

“There is plenty of research that teaching creativity and story-telling improves school culture and also student outcomes.”

Dr Paul personally funds the competition and his literacy projects.

ENDS

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