Schools should organise yoga day every month: Maha education minister

State education minister Vinod Tawde has asked schools to organise ‘Yoga Day’ on the 21st of every month, and also celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21 every year.

State education minister Vinod Tawde has asked schools to organise ‘Yoga Day’ on the 21st of every month, and also celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21 every year.

Last month, the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) had suggested that schools should promote yoga among the youth.(HT)

“To promote yoga and create awareness about its benefits, schools and colleges should celebrate yoga day every month,” said Tawde in the statement issued on Wednesday during a state-level meeting to prepare for the upcoming International Yoga Day.

To co-ordinate the activities for yoga day celebrations every year, district-level committees will be set-up and a state-level committee will monitor them, said Tawde.

The announcement has added to the woes of schools and colleges who already have their hands full with academic and other extra-curricular activities. “We already have a period for yoga every week. Celebrating yoga day every month will become a little tedious to manage with academics,” said Cynthia Dawson, principal of Swami Vivekanand High School, Chembur.

Read: CBSE schools can grade students on yoga studies

Last month, the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) had suggested that schools should promote yoga among the youth. The CBSE board has even informed schools to offer yoga as a graded activity for primary and secondary students and make it part of the school routine. “We have compulsory yoga for students of Classes 1 to 10, then why do we need to have a separate token celebration every month?” said Deepshikha Srivastava, principal, Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri.

A few schools said that it would be good for students to have such programmes. “We already have one meditation session every week and conducting yoga day every month will benefit students,” said Blasie D’Souza, principal, St Xavier’s High School, Airoli.