Implementation is the Key

SPORTS & PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN NEP

Onkar Kedia

(Author is Director General, Sports Authority of Assam. Views expressed in this article are personal. He can be reached at okedia@gmail.com)

Sports and Physical Education (PE) has often remained a neglected part of our education system. This is despite the fact that physical activity is essential for physical fitness without which it is not possible for citizens to work at their optimum level and achieve the desired growth. What has been much less appreciated is the fact that sports and physical education can impart qualities and life skills so essential for success in life. Leadership qualities, hard work, graceful acceptance of defeat, determination, self- confidence, harmony, initiative, discipline, teamwork, responsibility - sports and PE have all this and more to offer. Sports and PE has been mostly seen as a stumbling block to academic performance, although numerous researches prove that the case is just the opposite.

The situation so far has been that PE is not a part of the school curriculum and marks are not added for performance in this subject. This has been the primary reason why sports and PE have not been taken seriously. Today, a large number of schools do not have a proper playfield and basic equipment. In many schools, a PE teacher is not available, leaving children without any guidance. During 2016–17, there were 1,08,017 single-teacher schools, majority of them (85743) being primary schools. In such small schools, one can well imagine the status of PE and sports. This has taken its toll on the fitness of children and their all-round development.

The New Education Policy (NEP) approved by the Union Cabinet on 29th July, 2020 seeks to bring a paradigm shift in the education sector. It duly recognizes the importance of sports & amp; PE in education. The policy aims at all-rounded development of children through education and underlines the importance of sports and PE in such development. It adopts a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to education. The NEP addresses the issues of PE teachers, availability of sports equipment and sports competitions. It makes sports & amp; PE an essential part of the curriculum at all levels of the education system and not just at the primary level.

The NEP seeks to encourage 'bagless' days throughout the year for various types of enrichment activities including sports. Effectively, this will mean regular break from academics which the current system is obsessed with. The NEP recognizes the importance of promoting indigenous games and addresses the needs of divyang children. To address the shortage of PE teachers, the new policy moots the idea of sharing of teachers across schools. This will take care of the small schools where appointment of a separate PE teacher may not be feasible.

The New Education Policy specifically points out that Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which applies to children up to the age of 8 is not available to crores of children, particularly those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. ECCE has to consist of flexible and play-based learning, comprising, among others, of indoor and outdoor play. The overall aim will be to attain optimal outcomes in physical and motor development among others. For universal access to ECCE, Anganwadi Centres will be strengthened with high-quality infrastructure, play equipment, and well-trained Anganwadi workers/teachers. Neglect of sports and PE in the formative years of a child has been a major weakness of the current education system.

The policy envisages that by 2025, every school will have adequate number of teachers (shared or otherwise) for teaching all subjects including sports and adequate resources (shared or otherwise) such as playgrounds, sports equipment and facilities. Joint activities such as sports meets will be held to build a sense of community. A Department of Sports will be there in all higher education institutions. The 4-year integrated B.Ed. will be a holistic Bachelor's degree in Education as well as a specialized subject such as PE.

The intent of the policy is good, but it will require close coordination among various stakeholders, including the Central and State governments. Efforts also will have to be made to create awareness quickly about the ingredients of the NEP. Huge financial and human resources required for implementation will have to be arranged. The workforce which will be responsible for implementation of the policy will have to be trained and empowered.

If the policy can be implemented sincerely, it will lead to creation of a sporting culture in the country and will change forever the way we look at sports and PE.