Should schools resume physical education and sports activities post-reopening

Institutional heads advocate for resumption of sports activities that support students’ fitness while maintaining safety precautions.

Healthy body for healthy mind

With schools reopening, physical education classes and sports activities should be resumed. The lockdown period has made us all indolent. We see our children getting obese, lethargic, gloomy, and dull. The only reason for this is the lack of physical activity for such a prolonged period. In the new normal, we need more physical and mental strength so as to combat the day-to-day challenges. Therefore, sports activities are a must for our children to help them face the post-pandemic situation more energetically. It will also help them to focus on their academic skills and promote holistic development as it has been rightly said that ‘a healthy body leads to a healthy mind’.

Pallavi Upadhyaya, principal, Delhi Public School, Rajnagar Extension, Ghaziabad

Sports will boost learning

With schools gradually re-opening in a staggered manner, it is of utmost importance that school leaders give sports and physical education the same priority as academics. Schools are the ideal place for a child to play as it provides safe play spaces. Moreover, due to the lockdown there has been no distinction between school time and playtime. Many experts have emphasised on the physical, emotional and mental well-being of children, especially during lockdown. The WHO recommends a minimum of 60 minutes of reasonably rigorous playtime every day for a growing child. Along with physical and mental health benefits, sports and nutrition are two elements that can boost a child’s immunity. It can also be a critical tool in blurring the line between curricular and extra-curricular activities while providing children the confidence to select their preferred pathways across the sciences, arts and vocational programmes.

Krish Iyengar, Business Head, Sportz Village Schools

Restructured sports curriculum needed

Sports plays an important role in a students’ growth and development in school life. Also, being a part of the curriculum, it brings discipline to life and teaches the value of dedication and patience. Once schools gradually restart with students attending physically, we must definitely plan for physical activities that support their fitness while maintaining COVID precautions. The activities and sports to start with, must be critically designed that allow gradual increase of exercises as the students are returning to the new normal after a long gap. The ones that are contactless and can be done with physical distancing rules such as yoga and meditation can be started. A restructured sports curriculum in a phased manner will support the schools while ensuring the safety of the students.

Anjali Bowen, principal, Ryan International School, Kandivali, Mumbai

Can battle weight issues

Exercise helps to combat many health conditions, so important during this time of the pandemic. Keeping a healthy weight is also important. We have seen our students grow over this year of online learning, not only upwards, but also outwards. I fear many of our children will return to school battling weight issues. But exercise is not just about healthy bodies, it has been proven to improve cognitive functioning. If one were to look at the top 10 skills that the World Economic Forum have suggested which will be required in 2025, many of them can be inculcated through physical education and sports – resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility; problem solving, leadership, initiative and active learning, to name a few. Add to that teamwork, collaboration and communication and one can truly understand the value of reintroducing physical education with urgency, albeit with safety protocols.

Hillary Hinchliff – principal & CEO, GEMS Modern Academy, Kochi


–As told to Rajlakshmi Ghosh