New norms and MoU options, ETEducation
Ranchi: Schools lacking playgrounds will tie up with the sports bodies or state sports authority through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued fresh diktat as per its revised land and infrastructure norms for school affiliation, making adequate playground facilities mandatory.
According to the new guidelines issued by the board, all schools are required to ensure the availability of a playground measuring at least 2,000 square metres. Schools with land holdings of less than 6,000 square metres have been given the option to enter into a MoU with a nearby school, college, stadium, sports complex or sports authority to provide playground facilities. Such MoUs must be valid for a minimum period of 15 years.
Deputy city coordinator of CBSE, Rajesh Pillai, said, “The revised norms place strong emphasis on sports and co-curricular activities as an integral part of school education, with the objective of ensuring holistic development of students.”
The CBSE has clarified that the playground facility under an MoU arrangement must be located within 200 metres of the school premises. It has also been made mandatory that students should not be required to cross any national, state or district highway to access the playground, keeping student safety as a priority.
Sanjay Singh, principal of St Columbus School, said, “Since our school does not have own playground, we use playground of another private school nearby. We will now explore option of MoU with sports body soon if required.”
Along with playground norms, CBSE has also revised the minimum land requirements for school recognition and affiliation based on the category and location of schools. Under Category A, schools up to the senior secondary level must have a minimum of 6,000 square metres of land. Under Category B, schools up to the secondary level require 2,400 square metres, while senior secondary schools must have 3,200 square metres.
Principal of Firayalal Public School, Niraj Sinha, said, “Making playgrounds mandatory would ensure a balanced environment where students can pursue academics along with sports and other activities. The MoU provision would help schools without playgrounds comply with the norms while ensuring students do not miss out on physical development opportunities. “
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