Know Your Teacher: ‘Embrace health is wealth mantra to foster success’

Physical Education plays a vital role in a student’s life; it promotes physical fitness, fosters motor skills development, enhances mental well-being, teaches discipline and sportsmanship, improves academic performance, addresses sedentary lifestyle issues, promotes inclusivity and social interaction, and cultivates lifelong healthy habits.

Both the Central Board of Secondary education and the National Education Policy 2020 emphasize the promotion of sports and physical fitness among students. Hence, taking up Physical Education (PE) in classes XI and XII can have a significant impact on the students.

“Besides the fact that it is a scoring subject, a student can make good career in PE like teacher, professor, coach, fitness trainer, physiotherapist, reporter, sports commentator and writer, sports officer, and sports director to name a few,” Ashok Kumar said, who is a PE teacher at Apeejay School Charkhi Dadri, Haryana.

Excerpts from the interview.

Tell us about yourself.

I have done my MA and BEd. Besides this, I have done a course at National Institute of Sports, the academic wing of the Sports Authority of India. I also have a master’s in Physical Education. I have been teaching PE to classes XI-XII since July 2002 at Apeejay. Before joining Apeejay, I was lecturer for PE on contractual basis at MDU Rohtak, Haryana from 1999 to 2002.

How and why did you choose Apeejay?

My friend Dr Wazir Singh recommended this school to me, who was the PE teacher at the school before I joined. I agreed because Apeejay Education Society has great professional ethics, offers a good salary, and allows space for teachers to grow professionally and personally.

How has your journey been so far?

My journey at this school has been an incredible one. Apeejay Education Society has provided me with a good lifestyle and free education for my two children. Due to the great education that my children received here, my daughter is now a Biology teacher in Canada and my son is a Merchant Navy officer. Words can’t express my gratitude for what the Apeejay management has done for me.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your career?

In the last two decades, there have been countless rewarding moments in my career. Our students are doing well in different fields like becoming IAS officers, scientists, judges, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs and even politicians.

Also, on a personal front, the moral and financial support provided during COVID-19 pandemic to all of us by President ma’am Mrs Sushma Paul Berliaji was amazing. She was a pillar of support for all of us. I can never forget her contribution in my life.

Role of physical activity in a students’ life.

As I mentioned earlier, besides the fact that students can score full marks in the subject and increase their class XII Board percentage, there is physical, mental, social, and emotional development of the student as well.

There was a time when parents discouraged their child from playing games. What has changed?

This is all about having a good career path. Parents earlier thought that playing games and sports was a waste of time. But nowadays, the mindset of parents has changed and a student can have a bright future in this field with great career growth.

How do you convince parents to let their child play games?

This is not about career and or competition in sports. This is a question about physical education literacy in India. The concept of PE and sports is not clear even among the educated community. A child is happy when he plays. But, after COVID-19 parents have realised the importance of health, fitness, and physical activities. Now, they force their children to play any game or sport to remain fit and healthy.

“Besides the fact that students can score full marks in the subject and increase their class XII Board percentage, there is physical, mental, social, and emotional development of the student as well”

–Ashok Kumar, Physical Education Teacher, Apeejay School, Charkhi Dadri

A message for the students who don’t like physical activity.

There is an adage: Health is wealth. If you are rich and intelligent but you are not healthy, you can’t enjoy life. So, stay healthy and be happy.