School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity Minister Rajmohan stressed that access to quality education should be ensured for every child, irrespective of whether they reside in hilly or remote rural areas.The Minister told reporters schools should be located within walking distance or be easily accessible through public transport. He noted that several villages had struggled for years to secure bus connectivity and expressed satisfaction that many of them had now been provided with transport facilities, enabling easier access to educational institutions.Mr. Rajmohan said that while political parties may differ in their ideologies, the common objective should be to work for the welfare and development of people. Emphasising the importance of holistic education, the Minister said schools should not only have well-equipped classrooms, but also adequate playgrounds to promote students’ physical fitness and overall development.He said discussions had been held with Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna on strengthening physical education in schools. The government was exploring measures to allocate at least eight hours of physical education every week out of the 40-hour weekly academic schedule.Mr. Rajmohan appealed to parents to encourage their children to remain physically active and participate in sports. He also stated that, in Tamil Nadu, academic classes would not be conducted during physical education periods, and that further policy guidelines in this regard would be announced. Published - June 11, 2026 05:47 pm IST