PE associations want govt to create more teacher & director posts in Tamil Nadu schools, expedite appointment

Chennai: Physical education (PE) associations have asked state govt to expedite postings and appointments for PE teachers and directors in more than 9,000 middle schools and 500 high and higher secondary schools. The demands come in the wake of school education minister Rajmohan saying that steps would be taken to fill PE teacher vacancies in schools.

The primary demand is to reclassify the student strength to PE teacher ratio. “There must be a PE teacher in every high and high school with up to 250 students; one teacher and one director in high schools with student strengths between 250 and 700; and two teachers and a director in high schools with more than 700 students,” said S Sankaraperumal, president of Tamil Nadu Physical Education Teachers and Physical Directors’ Association. The association also sought two PE teachers and two PE directors (grade 1 and 2) in higher secondary schools having more than 1,500 students.

Sankaraperumal said these posts should be created by the govt and teachers must not be hired through school management committees or parents’ teachers associations. “In several schools with more than 500 students, not even one PE teacher is available. This has to change as PE is a part of the curriculum from Class VI onwards,” he added.

Other demands by the association include the re-designation of PE director (grade 1) to graduate teacher (physical education) and the abolition of the new pension scheme.