Edu ministry orders keeping school playgrounds open, integrate sports into curriculum

The Ministry of Education has issued a set of directives instructing all institutions across the country to keep playgrounds open, integrate sports into the academic curriculum and ensure cleanliness to prevent dengue.

The directives were announced today (25 March) through separate notifications issued by the Secondary and Higher Education Division.

According to the directives, all existing playgrounds in educational institutions must be preserved and kept open for students as well as local children after school hours and on holidays.

Authorities concerned have been asked to take necessary steps to implement the order.

To promote structured physical activity, the ministry has also directed that sports be formally included in the national curriculum from class 4.

The recommended sports include football, cricket, chess, karate, volleyball, badminton, athletics, and swimming, aiming to ensure regular physical exercise among students.

In a separate instruction regarding cleanliness, institutions have been asked to ensure thorough cleaning before reopening after the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.

This includes strengthening daily monitoring of cleanliness activities, organising weekly cleaning drives involving teachers and students and continuing tree plantation and gardening initiatives. Institutions have also been urged to raise awareness among students about hygiene.

Amid a rising outbreak of Dengue, the ministry issued another directive highlighting the risks posed by stagnant water, abandoned containers and accumulated waste during prolonged closures, which can become breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.

Institutions have been instructed to carry out special cleaning drives before reopening after the holidays, remove stagnant water and take necessary measures to destroy mosquito breeding sites.

The ministry emphasised the need for regular maintenance and cleanliness to control dengue and other health risks, urging all schools, colleges, universities and training institutes to take prompt action to implement these directives.