CBSE mandates daily sports period in timetable for schools, check details here

The CBSE has introduced new set of guidelines for all the schools making it mandatory for them to include a sports period in their daily timetable. The CBSE has brought out a manual with sports guidelines and methodologies for classes 9 to 12. 

The CBSE one of the largest national education board with more than 17,500 schools affiliated under it in the country has made it mandatory for the schools to introduce sports period starting from the 2018-19 academic session. During this sports period students will have to venture in to the playground everyday. 

The key idea behind the guidelines is to deter young children from leading a sedentary life in the growing digital world. With large number of students turning into couch potatoes, India had the second highest number of obese children in the world after China in 2017.

According to a pan-India survey by Fortis Hospital’s SRL Laboratories, carried out in 2015 on over 17000 school children, suggested that more than 65% of the school going children had abnormally high blood sugar levels leading to a 10-fold spike in cases of type-2 diabetes.

The ill-effects of the inactivity on children's health are well established and it is also indicated that overweight and obese children are at a greater risk of chronic diseases during their childhood. These chronic diseases include heart diseases, stroke, asthma, cancer, obstructive sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes. 

CBSE's this move has been taken keeping in mind the rate at which the young children are turning into couch potatoes and leading an extremely unhealthy life.

Here are things you need to know about the CBSE sports guidelines:

1. Beginning from 2018-19 academic session, schools will mandatorily need to have a sports period daily. Students will be allowed to perform any physical activity freely. To ensure this the CBSE board had asked the schools to reserve one period for Health and Physical Education (HPE) while preparing their time table for the new session. 

2. Health and Physical Education (HPE) will be different from Physical Education as an elective subject which is offered to class 10 and class 12 students. 

3. HPE will be a practical subject and will not have any theory part. 

4. Teachers will evaluate the whole process of HPE 

5. Physical education teachers will not be required for conducting the period. Every teacher including class teacher, teaching in CBSE affiliated schools will be eligible for implementing, evaluating and record keeping of HPE.

6. Participation in HPE and assessment will be mandatory to be eligible for appearing in board exams of class 10 and 12. But HPE marks will not be added in final exams. 

7. Students will also have to an outdoor project, group or individual. It can be anything from visiting a zoo or a cleanliness campaign.