DSHE orders year-round sports, co-curricular activities in schools

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has issued a directive to all educational institutions under its purview to conduct sports, co-curricular and cultural activities throughout the year for the holistic development of students. The DSHE has decided to run these activities alongside academic programmes.

The directive was issued in a letter signed by Professor Md Shahidul Islam, Deputy Director of the Physical Education Division of DSHE, on Thursday, September 10.

It stated that sports and co-curricular activities play an important role in the holistic development of students as a complement to academic education. Participation in these activities alongside academic work will ensure students' mental and physical development.

According to the DSHE decision, educational institutions must arrange football, volleyball, chess, cricket, table tennis, kabaddi, badminton, handball, basketball, hockey, rural and traditional games, swimming, athletics, taekwondo and martial arts.

Co-curricular activities will include hamd and naat, speeches in Bangla and English, extempore speech, debates in Bangla and English, wall magazine production, book reading programmes, reading Bangla and English daily newspapers, creative writing, environmental protection programmes, digital content creation, mental health awareness programmes, math olympiads and 'One Child One Tree'.

Under the environmental protection programme, activities such as planting trees, keeping the campus clean and installing dustbins have been asked to be carried out. Yoga and meditation have also been included as part of the mental health awareness programme.

Additionally, cultural activities will include modern, patriotic, Nazrul, Rabindra and folk songs, Bangla poetry recitation, solo acting, quizzes, dance, graffiti drawing, festival, folk culture and heritage-related programmes, and painting.

The directive stated that these sports and co-curricular activities will continue throughout the year. Heads of educational institutions will implement these activities at convenient times in coordination with academic activities.

Furthermore, as part of sports and co-curricular activities, proper importance has been asked to be given to running various activities in each educational institution, including Boys Scout, Rover Scout, Girl Guides, science clubs, debate clubs and health and physical education clubs.

The letter directed all regions of DSHE, district education officers and concerned officials to take necessary measures to conduct and implement the mentioned activities.