Children Becoming Couch Potatoes Due To Online Games, Active Body Leads To Active Mind: Madras HC On Need For Physical Education In Schools

Justice PT Asha highlighted that an active body was important for an active mind and stressed that physical education was crucial for the overall development of the child.

“Today we are faced with children who are couch potatoes and playing online games affecting not only their physical but also their mental state. Further child diabetes, depression etc is on the rise. An active body is required to have an active mind,” the court remarked.

The court was hearing a plea challenging the staff fixation made by the Elementary Educational Officer for 2013-14 and in 2016-17, rendering the post of physical education teacher as surplus and denying permission to fill up the post in the school. The court was informed that the state had imposed a cap on engaging physical education teachers in schools. It was submitted that only if there was a minimum of 250 students in a school, the post of physical education teacher would be sanctioned.

The petitioner school submitted that, as per the syllabus, 2 periods a day had been given for Physical and Health education. It was therefore submitted that the restriction imposed by the state was incongruous.

Finding this restriction strange, and stressing the importance of physical education in growing children, the court sought a report from the Education Department regarding their policy with reference to having physical education teachers in all schools, including Government schools, aided schools, unaided schools, corporation schools, etc, and the reason for the restriction.

The matter has been adjourned to October 10 for the state's report.

Case Title: The Secretary, SRP Middle School v. The Director Of Elementary Education

Case No: WP(MD) NO. 20585 of 2017