The new state policy of 5 physical education periods will increase the number of school hours from 50 to 52 a week, say experts

More playtime means longer school days

The new state policy of 5 physical education periods will increase the number of school hours from 50 to 52 a week, say experts

Giving children more time for sports is no child’s play, say city schools. The latest decision of the state government, to increase the number of hours for sports and physical education (PE) in schools, has put city schools in a fix. With nine periods a day already, schools say that adding extra periods for PE would make a school day longer. In a move aimed at promoting physical fitness, the state has made it mandatory for all schools to dedicate five periods a week for sports and PE for classes I to X. At present, private schools only have two PE periods a week. The state has framed a new sports policy based on the National Sports and Fitness Policy, 2012. This will ensure that teachers do not take over PE periods to teach other subjects. However, adding extra periods is no mean task for schools. Experts say schools will have to add two extra periods in their existing timetables, making it 52 hours instead of the current 50 hours a week. “Adding more playtime for students would mean they will have to function for a longer time. Children already spend close to nine hours in school. Will they be able to stay longer or will they be too tired?” asked a senior education official from the Maharashtra state board. Parents have similar views against increasing the number of school hours. Shruti Nair, a parent from Andheri with two daughters, said, “Children leave home early in the morning. They are exhausted by the time they return in the evening. The government should look at reducing school hours, not increasing them.” Schools are also faced with the challenge of making room for other activities like library, arts and crafts and other extra curricular activities that they were generally pursuing during some of the PE periods. Anil Bornare, head of a teachers association, said, “Schools are expected to offer several activities and were using two periods allotted for PE for them. But if they now have to compulsorily offer five periods of PE in a week, they will either have to conduct extra classes or scrap these activities.” School principals say that increasing the number of periods for such activities is not the only way of ensuring that children stay physically fit. The state should look at the methods used during PE. “Just giving children time to play is not enough. We should structure the games in ways that cater to their overall development. They should be exposed to different kinds of sports,” said Ophelia Barreto, principal of Podar International School, SSC section, Santa Cruz.