All work and no play in many schools

In a recent letter to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy about their run-down school and lack of infrastructure, the students of the primary wing of Government H.S.L.P.S., Peroorkada, had pointed out that they did not even have a playground to play in.

The school, abutting the main road, functions out of sheds with asbestos roofs. Most of the school area is built-up, with no room for a playground. So, the only exercise the children get is from chasing each other round the buildings.

In Thiruvananthapuram district alone, as many as 257 government schools and 39 aided schools lack playground, data available with The Hindu show.

The Kerala Education Rules (KER) lay down provisions for minimum site area for schools depending on their classification.

“Every school shall have suitable playgrounds for games and sports,” the rules say. Experts stress that play, and not just academics, is critical to a child’s growth.

Complaints

Shobha Koshy, chairperson, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said not enough attention was being paid to the need for exercise in children. “The commission has been getting complaints that the physical training period in schools is being used for other activities. We have addressed specific complaints, but are yet to look into the larger issue.”

As per the Right to Education Act, facilities for children to play in schools should be provided, E.P. Mohandas, State Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, said.

“Either the local bodies or the school managements should take the initiative to find space for students to play,” he said.

Director of Public Instruction M.S. Jaya said the RTE Act specified exactly how much area a school should have. The lack of playgrounds had come to her notice, and plans were on to do something about it, she said.

Inadequate physical activity in schools is flagged by health experts as one of the reasons for obesity and lifestyle diseases among children.

S.S. Kamath, national president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, said with most houses lacking enough play area, it was imperative that schools provide playgrounds for children to get exercise. “At least two to three hours a week should be set aside for games in schools,” he said.

The lack of physical training teachers in higher secondary schools is pointed out as a factor that contributes to the lack of exercise in adolescents.

“Children in this age group are growing rapidly, and need a lot of exercise instead of being confined to their classrooms for hours on end,” a teacher said.

257 government and

39 aided schools in the

district lack playgrounds