Physical edu to be compulsory in J'khand schools
RANCHI, Sept. 28 -- The school education and literacy department will introduce health & physical education as a subject in all classes across around 35,000 government schools in the state from the next academic session, with the syllabus now in the final stages of approval, people aware of the development said on Saturday.
The new subject is aimed at improving the physical literacy of students in government schools from nursery to 12th grade, in addition to nurturing sporting talent within the schools. The project is the brainchild of the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) in association with UNICEF, officials said.
"It will be introduced as a compulsory subject in all the classes. It aligns with the New Education Policy 2020. The new subject aims at ensuring the all-round development of students, including their physical, social, mental, and emotional well-being. Currently, the process is on to get a guide-and-handbook published, which will have all the related details. We will soon be sending it for approval to the education minister," a senior education department official, who is part of the exercise, said.
Post approval from the concerned minister, books for the subject will be finalised accordingly, officials said, adding that the new subject is likely to be inducted into the school curriculum from the upcoming academic session. Presently, chief minister Hemant Soren is in charge of the department in the absence of late Ramdas Soren.
"Once included, this subject will be much beyond what we traditionally think of as physical education. We generally imagine it to be restricted to sports. In reality, this physical literacy will be much beyond that. It will help educate the students, both boys and girls, about their physical and mental development. For example, the students will be aware of small things like bad touch and good touch. Besides being physical, it is also a social construct. Similarly, a young girl will be learning about how to take care of herself during the menstrual cycle," an official said, explaining the different spectrums of physical literacy that will be covered in the subject.
The official said Jharkhand would be the fifth state to have a dedicated subject on physical literacy, of which sports would be an intrinsic part. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Punjab have already introduced it in their state boards. Besides these state boards, the schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education already have it in their school curriculum.
Officials said while the syllabus has been finalised after being vetted by the Jharkhand Council of Educational Research and Training (JCERT), the JEPC is currently finalising the guide-and-handbook of the syllabus, which will serve as an index of the syllabus across different grades.
"It has been published and will be sent to the chief minister, who is currently holding the education portfolio, for his consent soon. The guide-cum-handbook, named 'Physical Education and Sports', will have the details of the syllabus that will be covered in each class, including the different facets of physical education, sports, and tips related to the health issues arising in the growing age of the students in different grades," an official said....
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