VIJAYAWADA: Educationists in the State are advocating for significant reforms in the education system, particularly to integrate physical education for the holistic development of students.
With an aim of creating a balanced educational footprint that prioritises academic excellence, physical well-being, cultural awareness and essential life skills, the experts are seeking policy changes to foster social skills, cultural values, physical fitness, and leadership qualities, all of which are as vital as academic knowledge.
“Physical education and extracurricular activities are essential for the holistic development of students,” said Krishna University Physical Directors Association secretary Dr BCH Sangeetha Rao. He expressed concern over parents choosing private colleges without necessary infrastructure and leaving well-equipped government colleges under utilised.
A research scholar in physical education, Daram Naveen Kumar urged the State government to ensure thorough physical inspections while granting necessary permissions, as private institutions tend to present a perfect documentation even without proper facilities for physical education.
He called for the immediate appointment of PETs (Physical Education Teachers) for Classes I to V and to fill the vacancies in all high schools and colleges. Similarly, Arts and Crafts Unemployed Teachers Association State president Gopaboina Edukondala Rao appealed to the government to include crafts, art, and music classes in the curriculum.
He noted that nearly 5,000 teachers, 95% of whom are women, BC, SC, ST, and minorities, face unemployment each year. Introducing these subjects into the curriculum would not only reduce student stress but also nurture their inner talents, he asserted.
The All India Students Union (AISU) - AP has proposed several reforms, urging the State government to implement them. AISU-AP shot off a letter to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, HRD Minister N Lokesh and Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad seeking changes to the State’s education system.
Malipeddi Sai Krishna, National Vice President of AISU, stated that the focus should be on infrastructure development, recommending that sports grounds and facilities be made mandatory for school and college accreditation. The proposal calls for compulsory extracurricular activities at all levels, from storytelling and crafts for younger students to seminars, discussions, and sports for older ones. In the similar lines, secretary of HELP, an Ongole based-NGO, N Rammohan Rao called for a legal framework for the changes such as RTE (Right to Education) Act of 2009, NEP (National Education Policy) of 2020. He sought the support of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in the integration of physical education.