Ludhiana: Drastic lack of sports, art teachers at govt middle schools hits learning

According to government data, there are eight physical education and 17 art teachers currently employed at 190 government middle schools across the district

The students in government middle schools are facing issues due to a drastic lack of specialised sports and art teachers.

Students of a government school play during games period in Ludhiana on Thursday. (HT Photo)

According to officials, no sports or art and craft teachers have been recruited for middle schools since 2018, when these positions were classified as a ‘dying cadre’.

According to government data, there are eight physical education and 17 art teachers currently employed at 190 government middle schools across the district.

District sports co-ordinator Kulveer Singh said sports teachers from high and senior secondary schools have been instructed to take sports classes twice a week for middle school students.

However, middle school teachers allege that no such classes are being conducted. Art and craft classes are being handled by teachers of other subjects despite their lack of expertise in these areas, the middle school staff said.

A head teacher at a government middle school, who has been managing the school alone for a year, said there has been no art and craft teacher at her school since 2012.

“I teach them to draw simple things like fruits and vegetables, even though this is below their grade level. Our physical education teacher also retired in 2021. The students do not even know the basic rules of games as I teach them sports along with other subjects. I am not a physical trainer. We conduct classes just to give them some excerise,” she said.

Another teacher, requesting not to be named, said, “The government is promoting sports through initiatives like Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan, but then students are not even getting basic training in schools. These children can’t afford private coaching, and a sports teacher is crucial. We had an art and craft teacher but after their retirement, the position was eliminated.”

Lecturer Cadre Union district president Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon pointed out that no new art and craft or sports teachers have been appointed in over a decade.

“Teachers are overburdened as it is. Expecting them to cover sports classes at other schools is unreasonable,” he said.

Deputy district education officer (secondary) Jaswinder Singh said there are only four posts sanctioned for each middle school. He said these generally are science, mathematics, Punjabi and social studies. He added that these schools are attached to high and senior secondary schools, and their sports teachers are supposed to cover these classes. He urged schools to report to the district sports co-ordinator concerned if teachers are not conducting sports classes.