Health & PE can be a game changer in schools

Rishikesh B. S.
Health and Physical Education can become a game changer in schools if it is viewed as part of a comprehensive education model. Its inter-disciplinary nature provides many ideas on what can be done to integrate the theme into the regular curriculum. Its implementation can be made more robust and for this teachers need to be given the flexibility and autonomy to rejig the syllabus to suit their requirements.

The physically active mathematics classroom

Pooja Keshavan Singh
Maths as a subject always brings in adverse reactions. But there are ways in which a math classroom can be made physically active. Teachers need to just tweak their planning a bit and the biggest gain is the increased activity and improved agility of the teacher herself and of course the students. Here are some activities that teachers can try out.

Winning on the school playfields

Devika Kar
When a child is asked what he would like to change about his school, invariably the answer will be that he would like to have a huge playground. This kind of a response brings into sharp focus the need for open spaces and playgrounds for a child’s healthy development and growth. Five principals from different schools talk about integrating the physical with the intellectual and the need for open spaces.

Physics of Sports

P.K. Thiruvikraman
Sports is always viewed as taking up precious time that can be devoted to studies at least according to most parents. However, teachers and parents must realize that most subjects are inter-disciplinary in nature and there are several scientific principles that can be applied to sports as well. This article illustrates the applications of some principles of physics in various sports and games.

A place for health in the PE curriculum

Krishna Kumar
Health in the PE curriculum resides mostly in the margins and reform is necessary if it has to find a higher and better designed place. Many new concepts and appropriate material are available to infuse spirit and energy into the health curriculum and this will be a first step in the long chain of reforms.

A road map for schools

Suheil F. Tandon
How has physical education in the country fared and what is the roadmap for the future? So far, the ‘sports for excellence’ approach has blurred the lines between sport and PE in the education system. Now, however, the wide-ranging benefits of physical activity needs to be driven through primary and secondary schooling. A good start would be to make PE compulsory like all other subjects. It must also be recognized as a distinctive subject separate from sports, and its parameters clearly outlined, encompassing best practices globally while remaining culturally and locally relevant.

Building blocks of Indian sports

R. Ram Mohan Singh
A five-year plan to manage and develop sports would be the way forward to change the present scenario existing in schools.
The key challenge is to stop treating sports as a stop-gap arrangement and try and set up long-term regular and systematic training at the school level. This will bring the much required change in pushing up India’s hopes towards excellence in global sports.

No policy for PE?

Hriday Kant Dewan
In most schools, PE is just a limited use activity and remains secondary to the academic and curricular purpose. The effort is not towards building opportunities that are participative and inclusive but towards individual training. Can schools begin to think of PE as a goal that includes diversity, team spirit and social interaction where children learn to enjoy, bond and share?

Catch them young

Sandeep S. Shinde and Sushama N. Chougule
Regular physical activity either on the playfield or in an indoor hall is vital to developing the health and social bonding of children. Before conducting any class, the physical educator needs to plan the lesson according to the ability of the children. The fitness levels change according to the age, sex, activity levels of the class.

We shall overcome, someday

Sourina Bose
If you have already read the reports doing the rounds on all sports pages of national dailies, you must be expecting what I am going to discuss next – yes, the recently concluded Special Olympics World Games 2019 at Abu Dhabi where Indian athletes performed remarkably well. India won a total 368 medals at the Olympics, out of which the ‘special sportspersons’ have won 85 gold medals.