Plight of mentors: Fight against pittance and tradition of apathy
CHENNAI: Whenever the topic of ‘grassroots talent hunt’ is broached, most statements have the line ‘catch them young’ integrated within. But where does one start? On as micro a level as possible. Shouldn’t sport begin in schools? If yes, they all are supposed to have Physical Education Teachers (PETs). Right?
Wrong. The plight of the PETs is depressing. How is the ‘catch them young’ tag going to work when the very people supposed to spot talent are being handed the short end of the stick? Getting meagre salaries or doubling up as security or not being considered ‘teachers’ is not the right way to build PET confidence.
In Tamil Nadu, government rules mandate one PET per every 250 students. But there are only 326 PETs for 8 lakh higher secondary students in 3,600 schools. “No proper recognition is given to the PETs. We are made to act like wardens and do other work besides physical training. I got Rs 4000-Rs 5000 per month at a private school in Chennai. Currently, I get Rs 22000 as guest lecturer in a college in Thiruvallur,” says a PET, on condition of anonymity.
In Odisha’s Sambalpur district, high schools are managed by both regular and contractual PETs. The former can draw up to Rs 40,000 per month, but the latter’s hovers between the range of Rs 2,200 to Rs 7,400. “In other states, the grade pay is more. Trainers here have been fighting for pay revision for nearly a decade with no luck,” says Chintamani Jena, former secretary of the Odisha Association of PETs.
In Telangana, it is mandatory for private schools to have a PET. “We have a playground and pay attention to sports. Most schools ignore this aspect. Many don’t even see the need to recruit a PET. Just to be healthy and excel in studies, students should be provided physical education, which everyone is ignoring,” says Jasvinder Singh, PET (former national athlete and coach), St Andrews School, Hyderabad.
In Andhra Pradesh, PETs are selected through examination and paid on a par with other teachers. However, when it comes to the Upper Primary Schools, only 10 per cent have PETs. In government schools in Karnataka, there are 957 PET vacancies. Those hired must have BPEd, MPEd or CPEd degrees. In Kerala, these posts are lying vacant for years in many government and aided schools. “While I began as a PET at the Upper Primary (UP) level, despite working with students from Classes I-XII, I am still paid according to the pay scale of a UP teacher. Kerala has won the national schools’ athletics title for 19 consecutive seasons. But instead of credit, what we get is apathy. There are around 3,000 qualified physical education trainers in the state and around 1,500 schools have vacant posts,” adds Rajan Babu, secretary of the state Physical Education Teachers’ Association.
Inputs from Ashmita Gupta & Ram M Sundaram (TN), Adwaidh Rajan & Sovi Vidyadharan (Kerala), Rashmi Belur (Karnataka), Harish Gilai & S Viswanath (Andhra), J Deepthi Nandan Reddy (Telangana), Ratan Pani & Phanindra Pradhan (Odisha).