CHENNAI: For the past decade, physical education has been slowly given its due importance. While it is still being sacrificed for special classes, its importance is slowly gaining amongst those running schools.
In June this year, the Tamil Nadu Government mandated physical education for students of classes 6 to 12 across government, aided and private schools across the state.
This move would come as a boost to students, and may encourage them to take up a sport at such an early age.
Additionally, Structured Physical Education enables children to develop foundational skills, explore different sports, and realise their potential through regular participation and coaching.
But the bigger picture remains the fitness levels of children. A lot has been spoken on how their upbringing, exposure to sports at a young age will help them become fitter. A health survey by Sportz Village found out that two in five children assessed fell outside a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range, while only one in three demonstrated healthy aerobic fitness. However, children who attended more than two Physical Education classes a week (over 80 sessions annually) consistently recorded better fitness outcomes, highlighting that regular, structured Physical Education — not just access to sports — is essential for improving children's health.
Beyond fitness, structured physical education helps build social-emotional skills, improve student engagement, and support better learning outcomes. The report found that over 55 per cent of public school students who participated actively in P.E. improved their grades, with teachers reporting better classroom participation, attentiveness, and homework completion.
The TN government’s move will help push structured physical education programs across schools. And the results are there to show. "In our school, regular structured Physical Education has clearly helped students become more confident, participate more actively in the classroom, and demonstrate better discipline and focus, alongside improvements in their overall academic engagement." Muthu Maheshwari, Principal of Kadirvedu Government High School in Chennai, said.
Speaking on the broader significance of the move, Saumil Majmudar, Co-founder of Sportz Village, said "The role of P.E. is evolving from being just a school activity to becoming an essential part of a child’s overall development. Play helps children build confidence, teamwork and life skills while fostering a stronger connection to learning. Tamil Nadu’s decision to strengthen P.E. in schools is a significant step towards recognising play as a key pillar of holistic education and whole-child development."
Building talent pool
PE in schools also plays a vital role in identifying and nurturing grassroots talent, helping build the pathways needed to realise India's sporting ambitions. In Chennai, the Chennai Kaalpandhu League, implemented across 20 public schools, is providing talented young footballers with opportunities to participate in structured competition and access higher levels of training. One such student is Ansure from Public High School, Kathirvedu, whose potential was identified by his PE teacher during regular school sports sessions, leading to structured training and progression into the Chennaiyin FC pathway.
