School playgrounds not must anymore!!!

School playgrounds not must anymore

HRD ministry allows managements to make alternative arrangements

Puja Pednekar

Considering the paucity of open spaces in big cities, the HRD ministry has issued an advisory to all schools. It says that playground should be removed as an infrastructural requirement for schools under the RTE Act. Instead, schools managements have been given the freedom to make adequate arrangements in adjoining playgrounds/municipal parks for children. Vikram Sahay, director, department of school education and literacy, issued the advisory after several state governments and school managements appealed to the HRD ministry to reconsider the inclusion of playground as one of the infrastructure requirements in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.     “Due to paucity of open spaces in the metropolis, big cities and other crowded localities, there are genuine difficulties in providing the playground facility within the school premises,” Sahay said in the advisory. He said it will be considered as sufficient compliance if schools facing such difficulties make adequate alternative arrangements for students to play.     “Inclusion of playground as an infrastructural requirement in schools was to ensure that children have sufficient open space for sports and other activities during school hours. It is not necessary that school management provides this facility within its premises,” he added. Schools in Mumbai welcomed the decision. A majority of private schools and more than 40% of civic schools don’t have a playground on their premises, a recent survey by Child Rights and You showed. Many schools have either adopted neighbouring open spaces or send children to sports clubs for physical activities. Some schools like Podar International School, Santa Cruz, have bought a playground in the vicinity.     Yogesh Patel, director of Swami Vivekanand International Schools in Kandivli and Gorai, said, “I am happy with this decision. As we are located in the prime suburbs, we don’t have a playground on our premises. We send children to play in the municipal playground in the vicinity.” Courtesy(visited (23.11.12)  http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=32569&boxid=14616&ed_date=2012-11-23&ed_code=820009&ed_page=7