CHENNAI: In a surprise move that may significantly affect sports and physical activities in government schools, the Tamil Nadu school education department has decided to increase the number of students per Physical Education Teachers (PETs) in schools to 700 from the existing ratio of one teacher for every 250 to 400 students.
The decision taken to avoid hiring of new teachers has come amid calls to prioritise physical education in government schools, which was also reiterated in the State Education Policy committee report submitted recently.
As per the GO dated July 2, 2024, there are 2,864 government high schools and 2,914 higher secondary schools (totaling 5,777) functioning across the state. According to a government order issued in 1997, which has been followed so far, one PET is appointed when the student strength exceeds 250 in high school (Classes 6 to 10).
For every additional 300 students, one more PET is appointed up to a maximum of three teachers. In higher secondary schools, a PE director is appointed for every 400 students in Classes 11 and 12.
The department has created 4,571 PET posts, 93 physical education director (grade II) posts, and 406 physical education director (grade I) posts in these 5,777 schools. It is also to be noted that 477 higher secondary schools with more than 250 students do not have a sanctioned post for a PET while 1,957 of them don’t have the post of physical education director. This is due to various reasons including variation in students’ strength in schools over the years.
As per the new order, PETs will be redeployed as per the new norm and additional posts will be created wherever needed.
‘Student-teacher ratio vital to ensure discipline’
One PET for high schools with 700 students or less, and two teachers for schools with more than 700 students will be appointed. For higher secondary schools, one PET and one director will be appointed for schools with 701-1,500 students, while two teachers and one director will be appointed for schools with more than 1,500 students.
“Until 1998, one PET was appointed for every 200-250 students in government schools. Later, this ratio was increased to 250-400 students based on a government order issued to create posts in government-aided schools. While we have been urging the department to revert to the 1:200-250 teacher-student ratio and increase the number of posts, they have now made it 700.
Because of this, we have to take students from four or five classes together to the ground for each period and we are not able to concentrate on honing the skills of the students,” said a physical education teacher.
At present, there are no PET positions in primary schools and only 29 posts in around 7,000 middle schools. While the department didn’t sanction enough posts, there are around 1,300 PET vacancies even in the existing ones, sources said. “It becomes difficult to ensure that the students are disciplined when the student-teacher ratio is unreasonable.
With reports of drug and tobacco use among students, it is only appropriate that they create more posts and hire PETs instead of redeployment. Reducing PETs will make students prone to distractions,” said S Arunan, a PET teacher and head of the TN Government Employees and Teachers Federation.
The redeployment order also comes at a time when a recent report by the State Education Policy panel urged the government to consider posting PETs at the primary level and to fill posts in the rest of the schools. “We thought that sports would be given more importance in schools under this government. Changing the student-to-teacher ratio will have a negative impact in the long term,” said a higher secondary headmaster.