(a) whether the Government is aware that significant proportion of drowning deaths in the country are occurring among children due to lack of water safety training;
(b) whether the Government proposes to consider introducing swimming training mandatory in school curriculum to reduce the drowning deaths and if so the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government propose to provide financial assistance for the same; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ''NISHANK'')
(a) No such report has been received in this Ministry.
(b) The National Curriculum Framework -2005 emphasises upon integrating health and physical education, including sports across subject area and stages. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed syllabus for Health and Physical Education for Classes I-X as essential component and for XI and XII as an elective subject. These syllabi provide adequate space to sports, which includes variety of sports.
The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 at para 4.8 provides that ‘Sports-integration’ is another cross-curricular pedagogical approach that utilizes physical activities including indigenous sports, in pedagogical practices to help in developing skills such as collaboration, self-initiative, self-direction, self-discipline, teamwork, responsibility, citizenship, etc. Sports-integrated learning will be undertaken in classroom transactions to help students adopt fitness as a lifelong attitude and to achieve the related life skills along with the levels of fitness as envisaged in the Fit India Movement. The need to integrate sports in education is well recognized as it serves to foster holistic development by promoting physical and psychological well-being while also enhancing cognitive abilities.
(c) & (d) Realizing the need for holistic development of children, Sports and Physical Education components have been introduced under the Samagra Shiksha for encouragement of Sports, Physical activities, Yoga, Co-curricular activities, etc. A provision has been made for grants for sports equipment in all government schools at the rate of Rs. 5000 for Primary Schools, Rs. 10,000 for upper primary schools and up to Rs. 25,000 for secondary and senior secondary schools per annum.
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