Shikshantar accords special importance to children’s physical fitness and health. To achieve this goal, sports is a central part of the school curriculum. Children have a dedicated Outdoor Time everyday till Class VII, whereafter it reduces to 2-3 times a week.
Sports consists of athletics and team games like basketball, badminton, chess, cricket, football, gymnastics, table tennis and volleyball. Well equipped infrastructure and grounds are provided for athletics and team games.
A detailed and extensive curriculum in sports is reflected in the organisation of different sports days for pre-primary school, Classes I-III, IV and V, VI-VIII and IX-XII. This helps to ensure participation of each child in the processes that lead up to the sports day and the development of the child’s goals for physical health.
Specific objectives in sports for the respective age groups are shared below:
Sports in Pre-School
The emphasis on physical development in the early years is on large motor development, and fun. The focus in these years is to help children overcome their fears. Trained, gentle and sensitive sports teachers guide children to find courage in their bodies to climb, roll, balance and achieve new levels without hesitation.
Vanar Vatika, the play space in pre-school with tunnels, swings and climbers becomes the favourite space for young children in Shikshantar right from the first day.
Sports in Primary School
In the primary years, children are introduced to yoga, gymnastics, basketball, football , cricket and various track experiences. In every child there is a willing participant because the curriculum is non-competitive and children partake without fear of failure. Shikshantar views non-competitive sports as the foundation for instilling enduring love for the outdoors in children. As they reach Classes III and IV, children are ready to play team games with rules and defined skills leading to formation of school teams based on their consistent development across years and interest. Inter group / class matches helps them in the process and witness the transition to more organised competitive sports at intra- and inter-school levels in middle school years.
Sports in Middle and Senior School
Athletics includes track events (100m sprint, 200m sprint, 400m, 800m, relay races, obstacle races and mini-marathon), long jump and high jump.
Team games include basketball, badminton, chess, cricket, football, gymnastics, table tennis and volleyball. Well equipped infrastructure and grounds are provided for athletics and team games.
The emphasis in sports at this level is on the development of individual and group standards of excellence.
Students are placed in Beginners’, Intermediate and Advanced levels in a specific sport and game for one semester at a time (half yearly). This helps them to recognize their abilities and work beyond their existing benchmarks. Parameters for evaluation in sports include strength, endurance, stamina, flexibility and game specific skills.
Shikshantar has two or more teams for most games. In sports at the zonal, state and national levels organised by the Government and CISCE (Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations) at inter-school tournaments in Delhi-NCR region. Awards in individual and team events are now a part of every inter-school participation.