Grace marks for students excelling in sports

Tribune News Service 
Jalandhar, February 18 

The Education Department has asked the District Education Officers to send the names of those  students who have excelled in the field of sports. The department, in a circular, has asked the schools to list out the students who excelled in inter-district, national or international level. 

They will be given 15-20 grace marks in the board exams. “Although there are several instances from the district that students have excelled in sports at state and national level but still they need to perform well in sports,” said a government school teacher from Nakodar. 

Sports takes back seat at govt schools

According to the latest data, there are about 200 posts of Director, Physical Education, in the district. Of these, only 35 have been filled. Of the posts of PTEs as well, about 200 have been filled, while over 250 are vacant. Las time the recruitment was made in 1994 Barring five physical education lecturers, recruited a few weeks ago, no other recent recruitment has been made.

A principal of one of the schools that sans any sports teacher said: “The Education Department do not have proper sports teachers. Even we want our students to perform well in sports. Whenever there is any sports activity at the district-level, we ask teachers of other subjects to train them.”