Hi, my name is Ayan. I am 12 years old and I study in Grade six. Today is Monday, usually termed the worst day of the week, but for me, it’s not.

Let me tell you the reason: it’s because we have a games period on Monday. If you ask me about my personal favourite game, it’s cricket. I’m a natural batsman. But let’s not get too deep into that, let’s head toward my classroom.

My classroom is located in the top right corner of the junior section’s corridor. The walls are painted ash white. At the front, there is a whiteboard along with a rostrum, while at the back, there is a big notice board. On the other two walls of our classroom, there are many paper charts displayed.

As you enter the room, you will be welcomed by a wide-eyed bear, smiling at you with his whole heart. Next, you will encounter either the Solar System or animals found in different regions of the Earth. There are also some math charts displayed on the wall, but they are not very attractive.

Today, when I entered my classroom, there was dust in the air. Litter was lying all over the floor, as though it were a dump site. Oh! And one more thing — the entire furniture was upside down. Some chairs were lying on top of the tables, while others were thrown aside. It seemed as if somebody had been fighting there.

“What happened here?” I asked, as soon as one of my classmates stepped into the room.

“The janitor went to his hometown for the weekend, but got stuck there due to heavy landslides,” the boy told me.

I placed my school bag on one of the chairs and went outside to find my friends. One of them is Amir, while the other is Ibrahim. I found both of them at the other end of the corridor, talking.

I called out to Amir and Ibrahim.

“Why are you all standing outside?” Amir asked as he reached me.

“Come have a look at the classroom!” I pointed towards the classroom.

“There’s so much litter in here, what had happened?” asked Ibrahim.

“If the class is this messy, then I am sure, we might not have our games period today. The section head will combine all sections perhaps and ask to clean up!” Amir said with a concern.

“I have a plan. If you all agree, we can have our room and our games back!” I said while thinking.

“What plan?” they all asked.

“If we all clean our rooms, not just us, but other sections also, before the class begins, then there won’t be any reason for the section head to combine the classes, and we’ll still have our games. What do you say?” I asked in hope.

“I’m in!”

“Me too!”

“Sure, we can do that.”

Most of the replies came in positive. But then I heard Asad say, “It’s not our job. We’re students, it’s the janitor’s duty,” “Yes, it is, but if he couldn’t make it, and is in problem then we should take responsibility for our rooms and, don’t forget, we’re the ones who throw trash on the floor instead of using the dustbin, we should be the ones to pick everything up,” said Ibrahim.

Everyone nodded in appreciation.

So as decided, we went to the janitor’s room and took brooms, mops and dusters to clean our classroom. Within 15 to 20 minutes, everything was swept clean. Some students arranged the furniture, while others mopped the floor, and soon our class was as clean as new.

I stepped forward and appreciated everyone: “Well done, everyone. You all proved to be true students of ‘Section Green.’ One thing I need to say: there shouldn’t be any shame in cleaning your class. As you all know, this is our second home, we spend most the day here, breathing in this air, sitting on these chairs. So why feel ashamed to clean your own home? It’s our duty to keep it clean.

“Let’s make a promise today that from now on, no one will throw anything on the ground. Every piece of trash or litter will go into the dustbin,” I urged everyone.

And everyone promised, even Asad. So when our class teacher learnt about the incident and the way we handled it. He not only appreciated us, but also gave us an extra games period as a token of appreciation!

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 5th, 2025