Not our business to say what should be taught in schools, states Supreme Court

Context

• The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition for a direction to the government to make yoga education a compulsory part of the syllabus for Classes one to eight.

Bench’s remark

• We are nobody to say what is to be taught in schools,” a Bench, led by Justice Madan B. Lokur, orally observed.
• The Bench denied any respite to petitioner and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, saying it was for the government to take the call on such issues.
• Ashwini’s petition had sought a way to the government to frame a National Yoga Policy.
• He claims that right to health was part of the right to lead a dignified life under Article 21.
• The plea, that cited the HRD Ministry, the NCERT, the NCTE and the CBSE as parties, sought a direction to “provide standard textbooks of ‘Yoga and Health Education’ for students of class one to eight.”

Government’s proposal

• The aim is to produce a pool of trained teachers in yoga who meet the upcoming demands.
• The subject would not put any additional burden on students as 80 marks would be reserved for practical.
• National Council of Teacher Education, in its revised notification has made yoga a compulsory training module along with ICT, gender studies and inclusive education.

Pros of teaching yoga in school

• Children are more loaded with the burden of study in the present day competitive world where parents want them to come at top slot at any cost.
• Yoga will provide the children with much needed break from their hectic lifestyle of studies and other activities.
• It is one of the ways that can make children realize the difference between the active life and the passive life.
• The present generation is suffering from posture problems as most of the time they work on laptops or are busy with mobiles. Yoga helps them to maintain right posture.
• In the age where everything is open on the internet, yoga helps the children to gain control over their mind and body in all the aspects.
• One of the most important things is the cost factor. Schools don’t need to spend huge amount of money to impart yoga education to students.

Cons of teaching yoga in school

• Children are already occupied with lots of work, and they hardly get any time to spend on themselves.
• The cost of Yoga classes will be ultimately passed to the students creating an extra financial burden on parents.
• The most important problem that cannot be ignored is the untrained instructor. It is necessary to have a well-trained Yoga instructor that is rarely found in society.
• Yoga should be done in proper guidance otherwise it can also lead to injuries if performed in unsystematic way.
• Making yoga classes is like forcing something unwanted on the students. Instead of Yoga, school can opt for the other activities like games or aerobics.
• Yoga can make children Hypochondriac that can create heightened body awareness creating problems at young age.

Conclusion

• The present day generation whether it is students, youngsters or the adults are really stressed out.
• They have time for all the unwanted work. When it comes to constructive things, they complain about shortage of time.
• Making yoga compulsory is in school is a good idea. It will help the students to relax and get control over their mind and body.
• The benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Moreover, it is convenient and flexible for the school authorities to implement in schools.