HC directs TN govt to issue circular to schools on hiring PE teachers

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to issue a circular, making it compulsory for all the schools with a strength of at least 250 students to hire physical education (PE) teachers, noting that the students have to be given physical education to ensure a healthy mind in a healthy body.

A division bench of justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and K Kalyanasundaram gave the direction while disposing of an appeal filed by the director of school education and two other subordinates, challenging an April 15, 2013 order of a single-judge bench of the court.

The single-judge bench had, on a writ petition filed by Shri Shanthi Vijay High School in Nilgiris district, directed the authorities concerned to grant approval to the appointment of a PE teacher in the school.

However, the authorities had refused to approve the appointment citing a December 29, 1997 government order (GO) issued by the Education, Science and Technology department, which stated that if the strength in classes 6 to 10 in the high schools exceeded 250, one PE teacher would be sanctioned.

Though the respondent school had less than 250 students, it was not rightly considered by the judge, the appellant contended.

Disposing of the appeal and modifying the single-judge bench order, the division bench observed that whether the strength of a school was more than 250 or not, the students had to be given physical education to ensure a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Especially, the children in the 5-18 age group had to be taught physical education, along with yoga, to keep their physique in a good condition and help them concentrate on their studies.

Appropriate norms with regard to appointment of PE teachers in schools had to be fixed, the bench said.

Observing that qualified people, who were less than 60 years of age and ready to accept such assignments, were available in plenty, it said such people could be deployed in those schools, which had a strength of more than 50 but less than 250 students.

They might be utilised for about two hours a day to impart physical education and yoga to the students, the bench said.