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Mandatory PE With activities like tennis and basketball, most kids seem to like physical education. “Cause its a way to not have to sit in the classroom the whole day,” says thirteen-year-old Miacatherine. But while popular with students, PE seems to have lost favor with school districts across the country. According to a nationwide survey, only 44% of school age kids have daily gym class compared with 71% twenty years ago. Most districts say the decision comes down to a lack of time or money and PE is the first thing to go. “Certainly the teachers see a lot of pent up energy of the kids in the classroom but the balancing act is you have a certain amount of resources, financial resources to use in an academic process,” explains school board chairman Lindsey Tippins. Fans of physical education argue that PE provides intangibles to students that are often ignored, including self-confidence and a critical vent for stress during the school day. But while the PE debate continues, some say parents need to pick up the slack if their childrens school has cancelled PE, making sure to spend extra time during the week encouraging their children to exercise or enrolling them in outside organized sports. |
“Certainly the teachers see a lot of pent up energy of the kids in the classroom but the balancing act is you have a certain amount of resources, financial resources to use in an academic process.” Lindsey Tippens, School Board Chairman |
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WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW How much physical education time is your child getting at school? According to a recent study conducted for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, only 44% of kids, elementary through high school, receive physical education classes daily. And, 5% of kids do not receive it at all. We are seeing quality physical education programs dwindling away in our nations schools with the need for fitness education greater than ever. Approximately 25% of U.S. children are overweight and 15% are considered obese. Reasons for the reduction of PE programs are many. The most prevalent being budget cuts and an increased focus on standardized testing. There is currently a bill which has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) called the Physical Education for Progress Act. This bill aims at stopping the trend of the reduction and elimination of Physical Education programs. It also addresses making Physical Education a mandatory part of the school day. The Surgeon General released a report in 1996 that suggested the requirement of daily physical education programs for all students; kindergarten through grade 12, but only the State of Illinois currently abides by this mandate. Washington and Alabama require daily PE programs for grades K – 8. So why aren’t our children exercising? Teens often blame lack of time, homework, and simply a lack of interest and motivation. Parents also tend to feel that watching too much TV is a deterrent to kids getting enough exercise. Whatever the reason, we know that physical fitness is important and findings show that physical education is essential to the development of growing children. It helps to improve their overall health from motor skills to self-esteem. |
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Resources
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National Association for Sport and Physical Education http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/naspe-main.html
We Need P.E. Now Physical Education for Progress Act (Actual Text of Bill ) http://pe.central.vtedu/professional.pepbillext.html |
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