The Hindu 02.08.2012
VMC schools devoid of infrastructure
STVR Municipal Corporation High School in Vijayawada.– PHOTO: RAJU. V
There are PETs in only 15 of the 28 high schoolsA daily dose of games and sports for students in the
schools run by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is likely to be an
impracticable affair. The government had recently announced that games
period will be made compulsory in all schools in the State.
The schools do not have proper sports infrastructure to go ahead with the government thinking.As
many as 28 high schools are run by the corporation in the city limits,
of which only 15 have Physical Education Teachers. The sanctioned
strength of PETs is only 17 and there are no moves to recruit the
remaining. There is a need for 10 more PETs in addition to the two
vacant posts, the head masters say.
Most of the
schools have no playgrounds. Only 14 high schools have playgrounds and
necessary infrastructure; only one-third of the 75 elementary schools
have sports infrastructure.The VMC runs as many as 105 schools including primary, upper primary and High Schools.
It is like ‘an egg and chicken problem’ it is plaguing the sports activity in the schools.The head masters show no interest in purchasing sports kits unless a PET was appointed for their school.The
school heads feel that the funds could be utilised for some other
purposes like purchase of educational tools. The schools, which have
indoor games such as carom and chess, have a blessing in disguise. The
students were asked to share the available carom boards and chess
boards.
The schools that do not have even indoor
games were asking the students to attend the library and read some
books, teachers said.