Schools without Playgrounds

The other day there was a debate in a couple of newspapers on the number of schools in the twin cities which do not have a playground. What’s the big deal one might say ? We knew that all along, it’s nothing new. Kuch naya bolo yaar !

That many children spend ten years of their prime young life without kicking a football or hosting a six over the school building is not surprising. But what stumps one is the tacit support of the babus in the education department. Just like institutionalization of corruption in other wings of the government, the playgrounds issue is one more example where money rules over everything else.

A child is not a child if he or she is does not play with their friends, fall over, hurt themselves and fight like silly. When you deprive them of that in a place where they spend about six hours of their daily life, it is criminal. That is exactly what many of our so-called educationists are doing today. And supporting them in this despicable act is our government. “A child is at the school to study, so where does the playing part come in?” comes a poser from the owners of these slave shops. “Many of the parents do not have any objection, so why should we be bothered?”. Good question, but one that we should not take at its face value.

I for one have made sure that my daughter goes to a school which has extensive sports facilities, even though that may entail me paying more by way of fees. Her school has a huge cricket ground with turf wicket (though I would say that is a little over the top, not required always), two top of the line tennis courts, a first class basketball court, an aerobics facility, a swimming pool… I would not say that every school requires these facilities, but a football or cricket ground would be good enough. But in reality what we have in many schools is a playing space that can hardly fit in a TT table. But then who is bothered about it? Definitely, not parents.


Most parents are busy pushing the kids into an abyss of being an engineer or a doctor. Did they ask their kids if they are cut out for it ? No way, we decide what is good for them. Even if their child scored just 50% marks in Intermediate, they want him or her to get into the IIT. The point is that its not just the mind, the body also needs a workout. What kind of children will the country have when they are pounded by text books and homework, with no place to play.

Infact my better half feels that our daughter maybe overdoing the play habit. The moment she is back from school she gulps something down from the fridge, eats a tit-bit or two and then rushes down to play with her friends. She plays football (yes, a girl and football much akin to Bend it like Beckham), shuttle and cricket. She does her rounds of the cycle in the quiter roads around our apartment which has negligible traffic. She comes back home only when we holler out for her at 7pm, a full one and half hour’s play time.

Remember the old adgae, All Work and No Play makes Jack a Dull boy. Make sure your kid gets the space to play.