Sports have been an integral part of the curriculum in the Indian education system and every now and then a new initiative is being taken. Competitive events in different capacity are organized frequently to test the mettle of the kids across the country.
One Indian state is however not taking it seriously. The Uttar Pradesh Basic Shiksha Parishad has come up with an incredible yet bizarre method to decide which students are eligible to participate in school-level sports.
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There is a system of evaluation in the schools to understand whether they are fit or not. Firstly, the sum total of age, weight in kilograms and height in centimeters is considered and the number should not exceed 215. This method, however, became tricky for the teachers since a lot of students started touching that number according to a report by Times of India.
The Parishad came up with another plan after that which was to count the number of teeth. Now, if the number of teeth was more than 28, they were not eligible. This has being tried upon both primary and high school students. Those who have made it through will go on to play the block, district, and ultimate state-level contests.
Shikha Jingran, one physical instructor of the school said, "In the case of students who exceed the total score of 215, they are only being allowed to participate if they do not have more than 28 teeth. Teachers coordinating sports activities are responsible for checking the number of teeth."
Another teacher in the same institution, RP Yadav, who has been one of those following the guidelines added, "We are, of course, ensuring implementation of the orders and making sure that only eligible students are allowed to participate in sports events. However, these eligibility conditions are creating a lot of inconvenience for everyone, teachers and students alike. Criteria must be decided on and suitably updated by the authorities to ensure fair participation and availability of opportunities to each talented student."
"I will look into the eligibility conditions for sports activities in primary and junior high schools. Those guidelines which create confusion or inconvenience will be discussed with higher authorities and a suitable decision will be taken very soon. We are focused on conducting sports activities in a fair and fruitful manner," said Dharmendra Saxena, one of the decision-making authorities.
We all appreciate that sport is important. Sadly, the Parishad believes it is only for 'sportspersons'.
