In more than 28 years as a govt school physical education (PE) teacher, S Pushparaj has not had a single promotion or pay hike. The job often costs him money, he says. Pushparaj finds grounds for his students to play at, raises funds so they can train. “Sometimes I pay the auto fare to bring children from interior villages to competitions,” he says.Physical education teachers across Tamil Nadu have similar complaints. According to S Sankaraperumal, president of the Tamil Nadu PE teachers’ association, 2,500 high and higher secondary schools and 8,500 middle schools have no physical education teacher.Colleges too, are losing ground. The state govt recently proposed a memorial for TVK’s five ideological leaders (Rani Velu Nachiyar, Periyar E V Ramasamy, B R Ambedkar, Anjalai Ammal and K Kamaraj) at University Union grounds. Teachers and students have opposed the move as the ground is shared by University of Madras-affiliated colleges for sports training and meets.“If this happens, no one will be able to access the ground for training,” says Pushparaj, president of the Chengalpet district handball association. “We approach institutions to access their facilities to train students for tournaments. At the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, we are asked to pay `30,000 a day when we take govt school students to train. It’s a govt institution. I don’t understand why we have to pay so much.” On the other hand, he adds, a few private institutions have given them their grounds for free and, in some cases, provide food for the students.PE teachers at govt schools say they are merely a ‘title’, frequently assigned work that has nothing to do with their subject. “We are usually roped in to monitoring students and maintaining discipline and do other administrative jobs,” says S Arockia Das, a govt school PE teacher. “In some schools, my colleagues double up as watchmen, office assistants or clerks. Our primary role becomes assisting the headmaster with administrative work. When we get hired at a school, our duties get reduced to doing whatever work we are assigned, rather than teaching physical education.”Sankaraperumal says while most schools don’t have PE teachers, even where they are appointed, staffing is not adequate. “A high or higher secondary school with 700 students generally has only one PE teacher, with a second teacher coming only when the strength exceeds 700,” he says. “Most primary and middle schools do not have playgrounds and even among matriculation schools, 70% lack them.”He adds that only a third of govt schools have grounds. “Sometimes portions of the ground are occupied by noon-meal centres, anganwadis or other govt departments. Only 30% of schools have facilities for sports such as athletics, volleyball, badminton, kabaddi, football and hockey.”The result is that students who cannot access school grounds are left dependent on external facilities. Those who can afford it can train at sports clubs run by federations, while students in villages or from low-income families practise wherever they find space. “Earlier there was a system of collecting a separate PE fee at schools. It is no longer the case. PE relies on common PTA funds,” he says.Vanessa Peter, founder of Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities, says govt schools need to ensure access to safe, inclusive and accessible play spaces. “Tamil Nadu state policy for children, 2021 allows children to participate in matters concerning them. Bala Sabhas, with children aged 12 to 18 as members, are expected to discuss issues concerning children and place resolutions before the gram sabha. A similar mechanism can be adopted in urban areas through Siruvar Mandrangal (govt-run children forums), where children can identify their education and sporting needs and participate in decisions about spaces in their neighbourhoods. Their voices should be part of planning and development,” says Vanessa.But the govt is on the defensive. “Students are given two compulsory periods for physical education,” says Gopalakrishnan, the state’s chief inspector of physical education. “There are playgrounds for them to play and necessary equipment is provided. Appointment of PE teachers is a govt decision based on school requirements. What more can the govt do?”
