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Sports, Education and Health are interlinked with each other and needs to be made an integral part of the school curriculum which would certainly help in nourishing the youth of the country and channelize their energy towards National welfare.
This was stated by Chief Secretary, Smt. Rajwant Sandhu while presiding over the concluding session of the two day ‘International Workshop on Promotion of Physical Education and Sports’, in schools at HIPA, Fairlawns, here today.
She stressed for convergence of Physical Education, Sports, Health, Nutrition and fitness, which required to be supported at all levels right from the schools. She said that in our country we have youth population of 60 percent which were less than 35 years of age and if we nourish their sporting ability and harness their energies, it would certainly help them to be a responsible citizen along with adopting qualities like discipline, perseverance and commitment to a cause or towards the team as a whole.
She admitted that the problem is compounded on account of the absence of Physical Education teachers, lack of play fields in towns and cities besides disproportionate emphasis by teachers and parents on academic curriculum in education system. To provide youth with all the minimum requirements, as is mandatory in Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, and as per National Policy on Education, the positive and optimistic impact on youth would clearly be visible and there would be significant improvement in their working culture, social behaviour and also in academic performance of the child.
She said that the National Policy on Education recognizes close inter-linkages between sports, education and health and its goal of ‘Sports for Development’ and ‘Sports for all’, but youth in our villages were yet to be involved in movement such as Sports for All. However, Panchayat Yuva Krida Avm Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) had given an opportunity to the rural youth to participate in different sports right from the block level, said she.
Smt Sandhu advocated for convergence of resources as play grounds or open fields, sharing facilities particularly in town and cities, proactive approach towards physical education activities, innovative thinking and above all the enthusiasm, to motivate the youth to shun idealism and impracticality and do worth for channelising their energies in right perspective.
She said that it was necessary to increase the strength of trained Physical education teachers and community coaches to chisel the youth at the very early stages of life. She also suggested sharing good practices and inter-sharing of expertise and ideas for promotion of Physical Education and Sports within the States and beyond the country.
Earlier, Kevin Barton, Advisor, Youth Sports Trust (YST), United Kingdoms, welcomed the Chief Secretary and gave brief summing up of the workshop and detailed about the deliberations, the recommendations reached upon and the suggestions which poured in during the interactive sessions and group workshops.
Shri C. Chinnappa, Deputy Secretary, (Sports) to Government of India proposed vote of thanks.
Shri V.C. Pharka, Principal Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, Shri J.R. Katwal Director, Youth Services and Sports, were also present on the occasion amongst others.
