In order to create a supportive environment for joyful learning, the State Government has recommended to all schools under West Bengal Board of Secondary Education to make sports an integral part of the school syllabus for the junior classes. This comes on the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who wants Bangla’s GenNext to be fit.
The government has asked the schools to include playing time after the first period and before lunch for pre-primary classes and classes I to V from the 2020-2021 academic session.
The circular by the School Education Department instructs schools to include traditional and popular games, including indigenous and folk games, and Bratachari activities, in their timetable of daily activities.
Mamata Banerjee has especially recommended ‘Bratachari’ – a form of freehand exercise routine – to be included in the curriculum.
The School Education Department has also given other instructions in recent times for ensuring comprehensive physical development of children. These include allowing children with hearing impairment to take part in handkerchief-running along with other children, recommending frog jumping and hopping in the primary classes and yoga, football and chess in the higher classes, and making playground compulsory in schools, and in case of inability to do that, turning a large classroom into a playing field.
Source: The Times of India