It is time you took your childs sports lessons in school seriously as according to a new policy being adopted by many schools in Hyderabad,marks obtained in physical education and sports will have a bearing on the final grades.As part of the newly introduced Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE),schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum have decided to keep aside up to 15% marks for physical education for the final grades of students.
About 20 out of the 36 CBSE schools in the city have currently introduced a detailed report card for physical education,which principals say will have a direct impact on the final grades.This decision has been taken to improve the health standards of children due to increase in the number of obese cases in the city.Parents are interested in overall development of their children.With CBSE promoting skill development in sports,the physical education classes have become rather important for students, said Usha Reddy,principal of Meridian School,where students are being asked to make a choice from three games on the offer.
More schools are expected to follow suit in the coming academic year.From a physical fitness to proficiency in games,assessment will be done at different levels in these schools.While students will be assessed on a 10 point scale over a period of six months in an academic year,expert physical education trainers from reputed fitness solution companies will keep both parents and teachers updated on the status of the childs physical fitness levels.
Among the schools that offer a complete sports package to their students are Meridian School,Euro Kids School,P Obul Reddy School,Geetanjali School,Chirec Publc School and Oakridge International School among others.While Delhi Public School and Chinmaya Vidyalaya are planning to implement it from the next academic session."We would want to implement a richer programme by the beginning of the next academic year so that the students can opt from a wide range of games.Parent Teachers Association is in favour of the management's decision to better the physical education curriculum here,"said Seetha Murthy,principal of Silver Oaks School.
School principals who have implemented the complete sports education pattern said parents are interested in the same.Parents said while exhaustion levels in children are what they are worried the most about,the newly developed physical education classes and assessment gives them a status report on their health.Children are encouraged to be part of sports,unlike earlier times when physical education was just another hour for teachers to take special classes.The change in focus has brought back leisure to school education curriculum, said Praseetha Reddy,parent of a child in Chirec Public School.
Some said since parks and open spaces in the city are shrinking everyday,the school ground is the only place where children can play."In this context introduction of a comprehensive sports curriculum will help them a lot,"said Md Kareemuddin,a parent of Sujatha School in Chapel Road.
At a time when children are suffering from obesity and childhood diabetes,which doctors say is mainly due to consumption of junk and unhealthy food,the initiative by 20 CBSE schools to encourage sports in their institutions is a big relief.All schools from other boards should take this matter seriously as todays children are tomorrows future and their well-being and fitness will have an impact on the countrys prosperity in the long run