CHENNAI: Government schools across the state must compulsorily dedicate a period for physical education (PE) three days a week, Minister for School Education A Rajmohan announced on Tuesday. Schools can use the periods earmarked for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities too for PE on the remaining two weekdays, he said.
Under the revised schedule, the final period, usually allotted for PE, will be 45 minutes for Classes 1 to 5. The 1.20 pm-1.45 pm slot has been earmarked daily for library and value education. The new schedule shows that Classes 1-2 have two extra/co-curricular periods that can be allotted for PE while there is only one such period for Classes 3-5.
For Classes 6 to 9, the 40-period weekly schedule retains 32 periods for core subjects. Of the remaining eight, PE periods have increased from two to three. Two periods each are allotted for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and TN SPARK, while one is reserved for library and value education.
For Class 10, four periods will be allotted for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Classes 11 and 12 will continue to have two PE periods and two periods for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities each week.
On concerns of the announcement being mere tokenism if the PE teacher vacancies are not filled, the minister said that steps are being taken to fill 6,000 vacancies in the posts. He also said that steps would be taken to improve sports ground facilities in schools with help from the sports department.