Hyderabad: The Telangana school education department has introduced a mandatory requirement of 10 hours of physical activity per week for students, aiming to promote their overall well-being and development. This decision, made during a recent review, aims to focus on schools educating students about the importance of physical activity, alongside encouraging them to spend more time outdoors.
Welcoming the move, Kare High School Principal Md Waheeduddin Ansari said, “This is a great initiative. It is essential that children are taken out of the classroom. The digital revolution is already affecting their physical health far too much.” However, he also pointed out that many schools lack playgrounds, which undermines the intent of this initiative.
Indeed, a 2019 report by the District Information System for Education revealed that around 60 per cent of schools in Hyderabad and 50 per cent across Telangana do not have playgrounds for students.
Md Shafi, Principal and Director of Monarch High School, echoed these sentiments. “Holistic education, which nurtures both mental and physical well-being, is crucial. Students need to be taken outside the classroom, bookish knowledge alone can only take them so far.” He praised the initiative but mentioned that more needs to be done.
To address the playground issue, Md Shafi suggested collaboration with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to use their grounds as playgrounds — an initiative introduced a few years ago. However, he noted the practical challenges: "There aren’t enough physical instructors in proportion to the number of students, and with so many schools, securing a GHMC ground becomes difficult. Travel to these grounds is also a challenge, and basic facilities like toilets are often lacking. These need to be addressed before mandating such rules otherwise they seem namesake only.”
To focus on physical education, the department is also launching a sports academic calendar this year, mirroring the structure of the traditional academic calendar. This will provide a more organised approach to physical activities.
