TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: While Goa is revamping its Sports Policy and making efforts to encourage children to take to sports from school level, absence of playgrounds in schools is a major setback.
A survey conducted by the Goa government, the findings of which were tabled in the Goa Assembly reveals that 791 primary schools, both government and aided, do not have playgrounds of their own and around 34 higher secondary institutions both government and aided also lack this requirement.
The absence of playgrounds for schools ~ middle schools, high schools and higher secondary institutions, is reported in all talukas of the State with large number of institutions in Salcete, Tiswadi and Ponda reportedly having no playgrounds.
While the government has introduced the infrastructure scheme for schools, it said that it will provide grants to those institutions wishing to purchase land for development of grounds as the government is in no position to acquire land for this purpose.
However, the interesting question that has been raised is, over absence of land for purchase for developing playgrounds and the new Land Acquisition Act will make it impossible for easy acquisition of land.
The government has categorically said that wetlands and fields would not be permitted for development of playgrounds leaving the onus now on schools to procure land for developing playgrounds for students.
It has been suggested that four or five educational institutions within a certain radius could come together and make arrangements to acquire land for the purpose of developing a single playground.
The government has offered Rs 20 lakh grant for such purpose in addition to developing 60 existing school playgrounds.
A Principal of a Panjim based aided school said, “with so much impetus given to construction activities where is the space for schools to acquire land and develop them into playgrounds?”
Another educationist who strongly believes in promotion of sports activities from the school level said, “henceforth the government should ensure that any new school being set up should have arrangements made of either having playgrounds whether their own or some arrangement with an adjoining school.”
