Delhi to provide yoga space in syllabus

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday has said that his Government is trying to reduce the main syllabus by 25 per cent and replace it with ‘courses of life’ — including yoga, music and sports. Speaking at the inauguration of the National Conference for Yoga Teachers, Sisodia, said: “The things which are essential for living, we term them as extra-curricular and those that are optional are taught as main curriculum.” Sisodia also holds the charge of Education department in the Delhi Government. It may be noted that Budget on education sector is reportedly doubled this time by the AAP Government.

He said life was incomplete without learning yoga, sports and music but was not so if one does not study subjects like English, Physics and Mathematics. “If you give me freedom, I can work and cut down the main curriculum by 50 per cent. But to begin with, I have constituted a team in the Delhi Education Department and have requested them to reduce the main syllabus by 25 per cent this year,” he said.

“If it’s not possible in all schools, we will do it in some schools as a pilot project.” The Minister said the reduced syllabus would be replaced with courses of life like yoga, music and sports. “When we introduce it this year, I request the Central Government to mark these subjects as well and consider as main course,” he said.

He also extended all cooperation by the Delhi Government to the Central and other State Governments in taking yoga forward, and added that 200 Delhi Government school yoga teachers were participating in the two-day conference.

later, Sisodia in a tweet requested Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani to remove the no detention policy till Class VIII. “It is due to this that education up to Class VIII has been suffering,” he said.

The conference on the theme ‘Yoga - Principles and Practice in our education system’ will discuss topics like yoga for holistic development, yoga for needs of special children, yoga and stress management, yoga in curriculum and best practices in yoga teaching.