Parents Back Telangana 2047 Vision for Sports, Skill

Hyderabad: With Telangana Rising Vision 2047 placing sports and vocational skills at the same level as academic learning, many parents hoped its implementation would be visible soon, since children spend long hours indoors with little movement or practical exposure.

“This is much needed and is very very important,” said Venkat Sainath of the Hyderabad School Parents’ Association, who has been speaking to families through the just-commenced admission season. He said parents had waited years for a plan that treated play, fitness and skill-building as everyday parts of schooling.

The Vision document notes that sports and physical education will be treated as core areas, and it promises trained physical education teachers, playgrounds and a clear pathway for children who want to play at district or state levels.

Sameera Shaik, a parent from Mehdipatnam, said the change was long awaited. “My son spends most of his day sitting in class, so this push for sports time feels overdue. Children shouldn’t have to rely on weekend coaching to get basic fitness and play.” A Class VII student, Ashima, from the same school, echoed that feeling in simpler words. “I like studying, but I feel tired sitting all day. If we get more sports and some practical subjects, school will feel less heavy and a lot more fun,” she said.

CBSE has incorporated it into its curriculum with serious emphasis. Teachers say they see the gaps every day and welcome clear rules that prevent sports periods from being taken over by exam preparation.

Dr Shobhodaya of the Ebenezer CBSE Schools Association said physical and mental well-being had become a priority across states and the centre. “Physical education class exists on the timetable but usually it is taken away by subject teachers to complete portions,” he said.

He added that many children lack basic stamina. “Nowadays children can’t even stand in the school assembly for 15 minutes. They faint like grass flowers.” He argued that physical health and mental steadiness cannot be separated, and he called the new direction a long-awaited correction.

The vocational side of the Vision puts early exposure in secondary classes and a menu of skill subjects, which Dr Shobhodaya linked to changes in the wider job market. “We have to envisage and see that we train our children or prepare them for some jobs which really don’t exist as of now, but it will be needed in the future,” he said.

Parents liked the idea because it opened choices for students who may not follow conventional academic paths. “Skills training from school level can open real jobs later,” said Rajesh Goud, whose daughter is in Class VIII. “If schools take it seriously, students will finally get to learn something useful with their hands.”

The vision document notes that school complexes will support counselling from early years so children can understand academic, technical and vocational routes. Parents say this wider set of choices makes schooling feel less narrow.