NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at fitness and the holistic well being of students, a new subject – Physical Education and Well Being – makes its debut this academic year for Class VIII. The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is upgrading the syllabus this year across classes in line with the National Education Policy 2020.
Dinesh Prasad Saklani, NCERT Director, states in the foreword to ‘Khel Yatra’ that it is “meticulously designed to develop motor skills in students and engage children in the team sports of Athletics, Table Tennis and Volleyball.”
It is divided into six chapters, one of which is earmarked for Yoga. Each chapter specifies the warm-up to be done, the activity and the cool-down steps.
The opening chapter begins with physical games—Horse Vault Race which goads participants to split into pairs and vault over one another, Mass Drill which involves performing co-ordinated movements to the count of 8 and Conduction Relay which helps students understand conduction (heat transfer) through an interactive relay race.
Along with fun, awareness is brought about. For instance, the lesson ‘Baraf Pani’ educates students about the ill-effects of bullying and encourages other students as well as bystanders to take action to reduce its impact. Similar is the ‘Char Tali’ game which makes students understand the role society can take on in stopping harassment of any individual.
The next chapter details different kinds of relay races and how to enjoy them by building physical and motor finess. The ‘Athletics’ lesson illlustrates how one needs to sprint by adopting the right crouch, drive, acceleration and finish. A complete understanding of table tennis is presented in Chapter 4 with Grip, Footwork, Side Movement, Forehand Push and Backhand Push detailed upon.
Volleyball skills like Pass, Serve, Spike, Black and Digging are exhaustively presented with colourful pictorial descriptions in Chapter 5.
“Yoga can support us, particularly as we navigate changes and learn to manage our emotions,” says Chapter 6. The postures of Sukshma Vyayama, Sthula Vyayama, Surya Namaskara, asanas, Pranayama (breathing exercises), Pratyahara (learning to control the senses) and Dhyana (meditation) will be among the aspects covered.