Only 362 teachers turn up for trials

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 15

Of the thousands of teachers in the district, a mere 362 reported for sports trials being held for the past three days for the teachers’ games to be held in Ludhiana. While teachers across government elementary, primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools – both from sporting and non-sporting disciplines - were free to apply for the games, a small number of them from across the district turned up for the trials.

While about 202 of these turned up for the trials on the first two days (December 13 and 14), as many as 10 turned up during the 17 events of the athletics trials being held today.

Applicants for hockey (men and women) and women’s football teams were so less that teams could not even be formed.

Notably, while many posts of teacher are also vacant in the Sports Department, there are still about 286 teachers (200 PTIs, 34 DPEs and 52 lecturers) in the department alone.

Sources said many of the teachers took part in more than one event as the rules allowed a teacher to participate in two major games.

In all, 141 teachers were selected for the trials.

The number of applicants for various games were: Hockey (nine men, five women), football (28 men, four women), badminton (40 men, 10 women), table tennis (eight men, 15 women), tug-of-war (16 men, 10 women), chess (eight men, five women), kho-kho (18 men, 14 women), handball (20 men, 12 women) and athletics (100 men 60 women). Of these following were selected – football (18 men), badminton (five men, five women), handball (16 men, 12 women), volleyball (12 men) Tug of War (12 men) athletics.

And those selected were: Hockey (0 men, 0 women), football (five men, 0 women), badminton (five men, five women), table tennis (five men, five women), tug-of-war (10 men, 10 women), chess (5 men, 5 women), Kho-Kho (12 men, 12 women), handball (16 men, 12 women) and athletics (17 men 17 women).

A district-based teacher said: “While sports was once the backbone of education in schools of the region, in the recent years, they have taken a major beating, with many key games closing down. There is an evident lack of enthusiasm among teachers to participate in these teachers’ games, which are especially being held to boost sporting activity and interest among teachers so that the same should be replicated with students. But a majority of the teachers are clearly not interested.”

While the inter-district teachers’ school games will be held in Ludhiana from December 26 onwards, a dismally low amount of teachers reported in the trials held for the games in the past few days.

While many of the teachers have also been deputed for election duties, sources said a postponement in the games was plausible. However, none of the election rehearsal dates clash with the games.

Assistant Education Officer Harvinder Singh said: “Primarily teachers, who were interested in pursuing sports or those who have been in games before have applied for the sports trials. Many of the teachers who have not been in games won’t be able to cope, so they haven’t applied. The teachers will be taken for the games on December 26. So far, we don’t think any rehearsal can be held as there is no provision.”

286 teachers in Sports Dept alone

While many posts of teacher are vacant in the Sports Department, there are still about 286 teachers (200 PTIs, 34 DPEs and 52 lecturers) in the department alone. There are thousands of teachers in the Education Department in the district, of which only 362 reported for trials.