“Children turning into couch potatoes”: Madras HC questions restrictions on PET appointments in schools

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered a report from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department on the reason for restricting the appointment of Physical Education Teachers (PET) in schools that do not have the minimum student strength of 250. The bench observed that physical education is critical for a child's overall development.

Presiding over the matter, Justice PT Asha of the Madras HC stated that today's children are “couch potatoes” who only play online games, which affects both their physical and mental health. She went on to say that child diabetes, depression, and other conditions are on the rise.

Justice Asha took note of the petitioner's submission that the syllabus allotted for physical and health education in schools every day, and observed that it is strange for the government to impose such a restriction on PET appointments. She reasoned that, without physical education, a child's overall development would be severely hampered, The New Indian Express reports.

Holding that the above restriction is surprising and cause for concern, the judge ordered the department to file a report on its policy regarding the presence of Physical Education Teachers in all schools, including government, aided, unaided, and corporation schools, as well as the reason for the restriction.

Furthermore, observing that the Supreme Court had taken over similar cases in which reports were requested from other states, and Tamil Nadu has also produced a report, the judge asked the petitioner to try to produce the aforementioned report. The case was further deferred to October 10.

The problem was raised in a series of cases filed contesting the school education department's staff fixation orders, which listed the PET post as surplus in some schools, denying the schools permission to appoint a PET due to the aforementioned restriction.