Overheard in Calcutta schools: a new nursery rhyme that goes “….Little Johnny no longer wants to play”.

Across city institutions, GenX is showing a marked preference for extra-curricular activity bereft of any physical exertion, in most cases with the encouragement of their parents.

At St. James’ School, the percentage of students opting out of sport is a Benjamin Spock nightmare: 70 per cent. A mere 20 to 30 students of the school have enrolled for cricket and football coaching, while almost double the number have flocked to quiz and debating clubs.

More than 60 students of Calcutta Girls are in French class and barely half that number on the basketball court.

At Heritage School, 35 per cent of the students participate in physical activity ranging from golf to volleyball and the rest in non-physical activity like mime and pottery.

The Park Street and Salt Lake campuses of Apeejay School are no different. Around 12 students each regularly play table tennis, basketball and football, while over 60 students each have joined science, math and quiz clubs.

Students of Calcutta Boys now compete more for a place in the choir or the school band than for a spot in the cricket and football teams. “Football and cricket attract the same set of students, but interest in bands, choir, debating and elocution is rising,” Raja McGee, the principal of Calcutta Boys, told Metro.

Psychologists say children abstaining from physical extra-curricular activity not only retards growth, but also makes them insular. “Children are now so engrossed in the virtual world that even if there is a function at home, they would rather be in front of the computer,” said J.R. Ram, consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Gleneagles.

Many teachers admit they didn’t see this coming. “We had first thought it might be a problem with a particular batch of students, but it’s a definite trend,” said J. Chacko, who teaches at St. James’ School.

Class VIII seems to be the finish line for most. At Mahadevi Birla, girls veer towards fashion designing, quizzing or even bridge once they cross Class VII.

The prod sometimes comes from parents. “They write to us to excuse their daughters from sport, appending medical reports that mention heat allergy or some such discomfort,” said a teacher at Calcutta Girls.

Apeejay principal Reeta Chatterjee thinks the pressures of building a career are driving students towards academics-oriented extra-curricular activity.

Class X student Akash Mondal had learnt karate in school, only to quit and become a member of the math and quiz club. “I was part of the karate club till Class VI, but had to leave because studies demanded more time,” he said.

But doctors say there is no substitute for physical activity.

“Exercise is a must at all ages, starting age two or three. A three-year-old needs to jump about at home, a five or a six-year-old needs to play outside regularly and older children up to the age of 16-17 must be involved in some sport or physical activity,” advised Apurba Ghosh, the director of the Institute of Child Health.

The most common consequence of a sedentary lifestyle is, of course, obesity. “Extra weight leads to diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems. The first two can set in as early as age 10,” warned Ghosh.

So are children — and their parents — listening?

Class X student Aastha Singh, of La Martiniere for Girls, loves debating and is on the editorial board of the school magazine. But she thinks she is past the age when she can start doing regular physical activity. “I cannot jog for an hour because I don’t have the stamina,” Aastha admitted.

Mother Manisha doesn’t want to force her child to take up something she doesn’t want to.

Some schools are trying to reverse the trend by introducing physical activity other than sport. Mahadevi Birla has started ballroom dancing because it’s something the girls find interesting. Calcutta Girls has introduced baseball, which has found some takers.

The question in this age of quick boredom is: how long will the children play ball?

Does your child like/dislike physical activity and why? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com