Sports and the New Education Policy, 2020
I always had this belief that knowledge goes beyond the book. Don’t you think so? And that’s why schools have sports. I mean playing sports can teach us beyond the traditional text-book knowledge.
Playing sports inculcates team spirit, empathy, leadership, and compassion. Sports teachers with their knowledge and experience equip students to perform in dynamic situations; ranging from on spot decision making to planning success strategies.
Over and above everything else, sports prepare students to face the ultimate obstacle, one thing even adults struggle to face head-on, that is the art of learning to lose.
If practised correctly, sports can help in shaping strong individuals with a positive work mindset, ethics, and basic honesty, that eliminates the possibility of indiscipline, non-adherence to rules and regulations.
The New Education Policy, 2020 is angled towards including sports as a part of the text-book curriculum, recognizing how sports can shape up a young mind. Above everything, it focuses on how physical education and sports are primarily a subject with its applied aspects being restricted to only physical education sessions, quite similar to the present scenario.
It also draws away its focus from sports as an experiential and life-shaping tool that can be used in the holistic development of the students. Playing sports is equally important as learning about it, how else will a holistic development happen?
Without a doubt, the inclusion of sports with subjects like science, maths, and social studies, it does fight against the stereotype of taking up sports only as a leisure activity and not seeing it as a probable profession. It will also significantly enhance the professionalism of our country’s sporting ecosystem and create meaningful employment and financial stability for many.
But there are various challenges too. Not to forget the biggest challenge of making sports accessible to all, with not enough resources and not so great infrastructure at most of the government-run schools. This is what I personally feel has to be worked on.
With a pandemic sitting on our heads, arranging for sports equipment to sportswear
will be tougher now than ever.
I believe the institution's standardized plan of action must include partnering with sports academies and sportswear manufacturers to plan in advance for the next academic session (considering the current peak of the pandemic). Since the school classes are majorly happening online, even though with the reopening, almost 85% of the parents have shown their interest in sending their kids to school only once the vaccination is available, it will give the school authorities the right amount of time to prepare well in advance.
The young students have already lost one year of physical experience, and inclusion as big as the NEP can overwhelm both the parties (if implemented late). Its time authorities start recognizing the additions; sports equipment, sports teachers, customized jerseys, etc.