Stricter Mandatory School Physical Education

[Ardnagran]

Do you believe that your region should have stricter and more lengthy PE within the school system?

In my area schools generally have a total of 1.5 hours of PE per week but I would welcome this being increased to 5 hours per week (i.e. one hour per day) with classes taking place at the end of the academic day. I'd like to see a strengthening of regulation against sick notes from parents with any request to be free from PE requiring a doctors note if more than one week off is surpassed. Ideally these classes would be supported by removal of vending machines from schools and provision of only healthy options in the school canteens.

Your opinions?

[Kvatchdom]

2-3 Hours, maybe even more should be sufficient. This is a simple way to fight child obesity.

[Cetacea]

I support 30 minutes of Physical activity each morning in order to get oxygen circulating and the brain energized

I've an uncle who is a PE techer who is always pushing the line that Physical Activity and PE are different disciplines and on his advice I don't mind formal PE being treated as other subjects and timetabled to 1.5 - 3 hours a week.

[MERIZoC]

IDK if this is a problem anywhere else, but in elementary school, we had recess get taken away on a regular basis as punishment. So in addition to having >1 hour of PE per week, we'd also have maybe around 1-1.5 hours of recess. My recommendation would be to a: end that idiotic punishment, and b: have 30 minutes of PE a day and 30-60 minutes recess.

[Ardnagran]

IDK if this is a problem anywhere else, but in elementary school, we had recess get taken away on a regular basis as punishment. So in addition to having >1 hour of PE per week, we'd also have maybe around 1-1.5 hours of recess. My recommendation would be to a: end that idiotic punishment, and b: have 30 minutes of PE a day and 30-60 minutes recess.

My concern with that is that breaks don't necessitate physical activity

[MERIZoC]

IDK if this is a problem anywhere else, but in elementary school, we had recess get taken away on a regular basis as punishment. So in addition to having >1 hour of PE per week, we'd also have maybe around 1-1.5 hours of recess. My recommendation would be to a: end that idiotic punishment, and b: have 30 minutes of PE a day and 30-60 minutes recess.

My concern with that is that breaks don't necessitate physical activity

They don't need to. Kids are going to run around given the chance.

[Neutraligon]

I do think PE should be a required class every year. In my school you only needed 3 years.

[Risottia]

Do you believe that your region should have stricter and more lengthy PE within the school system?

Kill PE altogether. It's an utter waste of time. If kids want to do sports, they can do it in their free time.

[United Marxist Nations]

Do you believe that your region should have stricter and more lengthy PE within the school system?

Kill PE altogether. It's an utter waste of time. If kids want to do sports, they can do it in their free time.

I kind of agree with this. School's function is academics.

[The Island of Quickscopers]

No. Although I want PE in national curriculum I think PE now is fine. NO changes needed.

[New Werpland]

Kill PE altogether. It's an utter waste of time. If kids want to do sports, they can do it in their free time.

I kind of agree with this. School's function is academics.

Children can't learn if they're unhealthy and obese.

[Kvatchdom]

Kill PE altogether. It's an utter waste of time. If kids want to do sports, they can do it in their free time.

I kind of agree with this. School's function is academics.

School's function is to make healthy, hardworking and intelligent citizen.

[United Marxist Nations]

I kind of agree with this. School's function is academics.

Children can't learn if they're unhealthy and obese.

Source? And is there anything specifying that it is those factors, and not perhaps simply poverty, as there is strong correlation between obesity & unhealthiness and poverty?

[United facist States of America]

No. I think PE should Not Even be on the Curriculum. Schools are for learning not sports.

[MERIZoC]

Children can't learn if they're unhealthy and obese.

Source? And is there anything specifying that it is those factors, and not perhaps simply poverty, as there is strong correlation between obesity & unhealthiness and poverty?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/phys-ed-can-exercise-make-kids-smarter/?_r=0

[Frasers]

lmao at all the out of shape weaklings saying to get rid of PE

you people are the reason we, as 21st century westerners, are the most unfit group of humans ever to walk the planet.

[MERIZoC]

Kill PE altogether. It's an utter waste of time. If kids want to do sports, they can do it in their free time.

I kind of agree with this. School's function is academics.

No. University is for that. Elementary school is for so much more.

[Geilinor]

Children can't learn if they're unhealthy and obese.

Source? And is there anything specifying that it is those factors, and not perhaps simply poverty, as there is strong correlation between obesity & unhealthiness and poverty?

Physical education can reduce obesity and unhealthiness.

[Risottia]

I kind of agree with this. School's function is academics.

Children can't learn if they're unhealthy and obese.

Doesn't seem like PE is putting any dent in obesity figures. A better diet would work much better, I guess.

[United Marxist Nations]

Source? And is there anything specifying that it is those factors, and not perhaps simply poverty, as there is strong correlation between obesity & unhealthiness and poverty?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/phys-ed-can-exercise-make-kids-smarter/?_r=0

It says that they discarded those of "median" fitness, which is a pretty serious error. The article also implies only two other variables were examined (and, if there were others, doesn't mention them). It's hard to make a direct conclusion based on excluding data.

[New-ish Bulgaria]

So let's have a mandatory gym class, but only 1 US state requires Computer Science? A field that in 2020, will have 1.4 million open jobs, and only 400,000 people to fill them. (That 1 US state is Texas; shocking right?)

[United Marxist Nations]

1) lmao at all the out of shape weaklings saying to get rid of PE

2) you people are the reason we, 3) as 21st century westerners, are the most unfit group of humans ever to walk the planet.

1) Probably not even true. I do distance walking, myself.

2) No, not really.

3) Outright not true.

[Camicon]

To anyone saying the PE should be removed from elementary schools, you've evidently never actually been in an elementary school as an adult. Anecdotally, from my five-week practicum that ended just a few weeks ago, on days where PhysEd wasn't scheduled the kids (Grade Threes) were a squirrelly mess, and their learning in every other class suffered as a result. Even on days with PhysEd we had frequent breaks, five minutes or less where the kids stretched or played different kinds of movement games. Without exception, they were most engaged and focused when they were allowed to move freely through the classroom while working. Physical movement is a vital component to learning, particularly in children.

Even ignoring the plethora of benefits that PhysEd brings to the classroom, elementary school is about nurturing the development of children. Yes, that includes learning things like addition, and sentence structure, but it also includes things like teaching them morals and ethics, critical thinking, and how to stay physically healthy. The latter is particularly important in a society where physical activity is constantly being pushed aside by jobs and hobbies which do not include it, and is being exacerbated by foods and diets which contribute to poor health and obesity.

[Greater-London]

When I was at school I had two hours of mandatory PE a week. We were able to choose from a number of sports in the autumn, winter and summer terms. Within this the groups where separated into people who were genuinely good sportsman and wanted to hone their skills, and those who just wanted a laugh and to kick a football around.

I enjoyed PE and thought that was a system that worked. When done well it can encourage people to take up sports, have an interest in health and build confidence.

[Chessmistress]

Do you believe that your region should have stricter and more lengthy PE within the school system?

In my area schools generally have a total of 1.5 hours of PE per week but I would welcome this being increased to 5 hours per week (i.e. one hour per day) with classes taking place at the end of the academic day. I'd like to see a strengthening of regulation against sick notes from parents with any request to be free from PE requiring a doctors note if more than one week off is surpassed. Ideally these classes would be supported by removal of vending machines from schools and provision of only healthy options in the school canteens.

Your opinions?

Basically, I agree with you, an hour each day seems very balanced.
Removal of vending machines sounds bad: a vending machine with water (not sparkling!), milk and orange juice would be healthy, and even coffee machines are useful - I agree with the removal of other kinds, and even more with the provision of only healthy options in the school canteens.