The Govt. of NWFP announced its first ever Sports Policy on 22/05/1996 in a Press Conference by the Provincial Sports Minister. Besides its several weaknesses, lacunae and bottlenecks, it has disappointed the Sports Teachers at the School, College and University level, because it has completely ignored the teaching community without which talking of sports is meaningless.
In the past sports was considered as an extra-curricular activity and every school, college and university was given a Sports Instructor, called Physical Training Instructor (PTI), who used to be a retired non-commissioned officer (NCO), a Havaldar, but on gaining importance both at the national and international level, the sports coupled with physical fitness and health maintenance, the subject was given priority.
As such the subject of Health and Physical Education was introduced and made compulsory in schools, colleges and universities in the country and the subject was treated at par with other compulsory subjects at these academic institutions.Schools, Colleges and Universities are, in fact, the breeding grounds for sportsmen and women, who are the product of the teaching and training efforts of the teachers of Health and Physical Education.
Thus the subject is not taught only on the sports ground, as was the case in the past by the retired Havaldars, but it is taught as a scientific subject in the classroom also as theory.
Havaldars have been replaced by the highly technical and qualified teachers possessing Bachelor and Master degrees, like Senior Diploma in Health and Physical Education and Master of Science in Health and Physical Education (M.Sc. HPE) from various universities of national and international repute.
These highly qualified and educated teachers are given exposure to continuous education and training in modern sports techniques, education and training at various national and international institutions concerned with sports, unlike teachers of many other subjects.
The teachers of sports are invariably charged with the responsibility of keeping discipline, cleanliness, NCC, study tours, arranging and conducting various sports events at district, divisional, provincial, national and even international levels.
When other teachers are enjoying long vacations, the poor sports teachers are on duty and busy in one or the other sports activity.
The poor sports teachers are subjected to continuous touring and thus are kept away from their homes and family affairs.
The female sport teachers are the special victims of these rigors of not only the nature but also of their professional responsibilities.
But what these highly qualified teachers get in return, are enumerated as under:
Problems of Sports Teachers
1. There is no viable and strong service structure in respect of sports teachers.
2. Due to 1 above, the candidates having M.Sc. in HPE are appointed as Director Physical Education (DPEs) initially in B-16 after their recommendation by the Public Service Commission, whereas college teachers, having the same qualification of M.A/M.Sc. are inducted in B-17 into service in NWFP.
3. Although the Directors Physical Education (DPEs) are de facto lecturers, but de jure they are not so in NWFP due to their existing service rules.
4. There are no chances of career development and promotion opportunities available to DPEs, whereas lecturers in other subjects with the same qualification of M.A/M.Sc. as that of DPEs, are fortunate having opportunities of promotion from B-17 to B-22.
5. In the past the DPEs were entitled to the automatic grant of B-17 on attainment of M.Sc. in HPE, but this incentive has also been taken back in 1994 and that too on the basis of pick and choose.
6. In the other provinces like Punjab the DPEs are treated at par with the teaching staff of other subjects and thus avenues of career development and promotion are equally open and available to them as to teaching staff of other subjects, but the poor teachers of sports are deprived of justice and equity in NWFP.
7. In formulation of the instant sports policy, none of the sports teachers was associated and taken into confidence, nor any thought was given to their problems or affairs.
Thus the dream conceived in the sports policy can not be translated into reality without catering for the problems of the sports teachers and taking them into confidence.
How can a policy be made successful without associating and taking into confidence the implementers, the sports teachers?
The policy is merely lip-service and does not connote its viability, practicability and is thus bound to fail, collapse and rendered infructuous.
If the Govt. of NWFP is actually serious in promotion of sports in the province , it has to solve the problems of sports teachers and take them into confidence before launching and embarking upon any policy.
Recommendations
"If you have to promote education, take the teachers into confidence first", this maxim holds good for sports development also.
As such if the government is actually serious in promoting sports in the province it has to take the sports teachers into confidence first, because no development of sports is expected from hitherto frustrated sports teachers.
Following are some of the suggestions for realization of the targets enunciated in the sports policy announced recently.
1. Revision of service rules
The Service Structure of Sports Teachers needs complete overhauling on the lines of other provinces like Punjab, where DPEs in colleges and universities are treated at par with other teaching staff and their nomenclature is similar to that of the teaching staff of other subjects, like Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor and they are not called DPEs.
2. Revival of automatic grant of selection grade on attainment of MSc HPE
The incentive of grant of selection grade in B-17 to the DPEs needs revival on attainment of M.Sc. in HPE, which was unfortunately taken back in 1994.But this should be revived in such way that those who have passed M.Sc. in HPE on a date should be granted selection grade from the date of passing the examination ibid as was the case prior to 1994 and their seniority position be determined on the basis of passing this examination alongwith financial benefits.
3. Grant of Move-over to Sports Teachers
The incentive of move-over as available to other teachers is not available to Sports Teachers and which is available to all other civil servants as well, should also be made available to the silent Sports Teachers.
4. Amalgamation of the cadre of Sports Teachers with teaching staff of other subjects
There is no fun, logic or justification of having a separate cadre of sports teachers, when they have the same or even higher academic and technical qualifications as the teaching staff of other subjects. This is in practice in other provinces, like Punjab.
5. Take the Sports Teachers into confidence
In order to realize the dreams conceived in the Sports Policy, it should be made obligatory and compulsory to consult the Sports Teachers, who are the implementers of the proposed policy, else it has to doom.
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