VIJAYAWADA: Educationists in the State are advocating for comprehensive reforms in the education system, emphasizing the need to integrate physical education for the holistic development of students.
The goal is to create an educational framework that balances academic excellence with physical well-being, cultural awareness, and essential life skills. Experts are calling for policy changes to enhance social skills, cultural values, physical fitness, and leadership qualities, which are as crucial as academic knowledge.
"Physical education and extracurricular activities are vital for the overall development of students," stated Dr. BCH Sangeetha Rao, secretary of the Krishna University Physical Directors Association. She expressed concern about parents opting for private colleges lacking necessary infrastructure while leaving well-equipped government colleges underutilized.
Daram Naveen Kumar, a research scholar in physical education, urged the State government to conduct thorough physical inspections before granting permissions to private institutions, which often present ideal documentation without adequate facilities. He also called for the immediate appointment of Physical Education Teachers (PETs) for Classes I to V and the filling of vacancies in high schools and colleges.
Similarly, Gopaboina Edukondala Rao, president of the Arts and Crafts Unemployed Teachers Association, appealed to the government to incorporate crafts, art, and music classes into the curriculum. He highlighted that nearly 5,000 teachers—95% of whom are women and belong to BC, SC, ST, and minority communities—face unemployment each year. Including these subjects in the curriculum, he argued, would not only alleviate student stress but also nurture their inherent talents.
The All India Students Union (AISU) - AP has proposed several reforms, urging the State government to implement them. AISU-AP has sent a letter to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, HRD Minister N. Lokesh, and Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad advocating for changes to the education system.
Malipeddi Sai Krishna, National Vice President of AISU, emphasized the need for infrastructure development, recommending that sports grounds and facilities be mandatory for school and college accreditation. His proposal includes making extracurricular activities compulsory at all educational levels, ranging from storytelling and crafts for younger students to seminars, discussions, and sports for older students. Similarly, N. Rammohan Rao, secretary of the Ongole-based NGO HELP, called for a legal framework for these changes, such as the RTE (Right to Education) Act of 2009 and the NEP (National Education Policy) of 2020. He also sought the support of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in integrating physical education into the curriculum.