Education board gets serious about sports

From next academic year, sports will be made optional subject in curriculum from Std X to XII

Education board gets serious about sports

From next academic year, sports will be made optional subject in curriculum from Std X to XII
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Beginning from the next academic year, sports will be incorporated as a subject in the curriculum for higher secondary school students who are keen to pursue it. The subject will be optional, and students in Std X, Std XI and Std XII will be able to go for it. The decision was taken by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) in order to aid students who are into sports, as now they will be able to score marks in it like any other subject.

Chance to score: An Indian Under-16 boys football team playsu00a0 with a
visiting foreign club team at an exhibition match some days ago.
The education board's plan to include sports as a subject in the curriculum
will give students who are intou00a0 sports a chance to score better in exams.
File pic

Revised syllabus
The board last week had proposed a revised syllabus for students from Std IX to XII. So far, students took up sports as an optional activity and it was not included in the syllabus along with regular subjects.u00a0The education board earlier had a system where students who excelled in sports were given 25 marks in their board examination under the sports category after providing necessary certificates. The scheme had been initiated keeping in mind that students were contributing time for sports which otherwise could have been utilised for their studies.

"We have decided to include sports in the curriculum for students of Std X, XI and XII. We are waiting for the response from the college authorities," said Ujwala Patil, chairperson of MSBSHSE. Starting next year, the board will set up a 100 marks paper on sports.

Projects and theory
Out of the 100 marks, 60 marks will be for projects and practicals, while the remaining 40 will be for the written exam. Colleges across the state from next year will have to certify that they have successfully incorporated sports in the syllabus. The board says until now sports as a discipline was compulsory for students of Std XI, XII and also carried marks but was not part of the curriculum.u00a0"Earlier, only 50 marks were for sports and no classes were held. Now, since the subject will be in the curriculum, colleges will have to display the marks on the mark-sheet in the form of grades," said Patil.

Take your pick
BESIDES sports, the new syllabus also has on offer for students a large number of vocational courses and subjects, such as information and communication technology and RTI. The state education board has also invited opinions, suggestions and criticism from parents, academicians and other stakeholders by November 25.

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