Many students hope to find any reason to escape class for a couple minutes like going to the bathroom, getting water, etc. Students would love to have a whole period of no work, test or pens and pencils. Physical education is a great escape from classes. It’s fun, positive, and healthy for our students. Many schools don’t have physical education and many students don’t have that free time, it’s all work, work all the time. According to the Department of Education all schools are required to follow six standards due to the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) issued in December 2007.
Physical Education should be mandatory in schools due to the increase of child obesity, the health of the students, and as a replacement
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This first article “Physical Education in America’s Public Schools” proves how physical education and exercise is good for students, also says how the health would be better along with grades and behavior. This quote proves physical education health pros. “Increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all help to reduce stress, improve moods and attitudes, and calm children, physically active students may also achieve more academically.” In 2005, Satcher says that several studies have stated that providing increased time for physical activity can lead to better concentration, reduce disruptive behaviors and higher test scores in reading, math and writing. The second article written by Ken Reed explains how physical education once was very important but, mainly focuses on the health of children and the future affects. Thirty-five years ago, physical education used to be a daily routine in the school’s schedule for K-12 grade students. Twenty-two percent of schools don’t require physical education class at all (Ken Reed). Allowing the children to go without physical activity and a healthy diet is not healthy nor safe. For example, “ They are also more likely to suffer from back problems, negative body image and 94% of obese children have a sleep abnormality (Zametkin et al., 2004). And if children continue on these unhealthy paths they may face diabetes. Type 2 diabetes once was considered an adult disease, hence the term “adult-onset diabetes.” However, because more kids are overweight and obese, the increase of the disease has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. If current trends hold, diabetes is expected to afflict a third of the population by 2050. The expected annual cost of diabetes in 2034, according to a recent academic study, is $336 billion (Ken Reed). The health of the youth is in some much danger
"Physical Education." NASBE Center for Safe and Healthy Schools. National Association of State Boards of Education, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
... physical education (J. Sproule, Ed.). Retrieved February 25, 2014, from Sage Journal website: http://epe.sagepub.com/content/11/3/257.short#cited-by
other hand, obesity accounts for about 13 percent of children in the United States, which is why physical education programs should be one of the last things to go. They also help students release the stress they have built up through out the day and teach them the ...
For the first time in years, schools are considering imposing an extra mandatory class on students with the hopes of solving a deadly problem; however, it could be causing more problems rather than diminishing it. A statistic recently released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, has stated that in America, 31.3% of 10-17 year olds are either obese or overweight. To combat this issue, The President’s Council on Physical Fitness has introduced a proposal that would require every high school in the United States to have a daily and mandatory physical education class in order to promote healthy lifestyle choices. Very few states require P.E. daily for high school students; however, many states are considering adopting the proposal. Doing so seemed like a great way to combat the growing problem until I thoroughly researched the topic and found that the negatives outweighed the possible positives. Calvin Christian adopting the proposal created by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness regarding mandatory daily P.E. classes would be a huge mistake due to the negative effect on student’s physical and emotional health, the likelihood of an increased budget, and the possible cut of valued classes.
Schools serve as an amazing venue to provide students with everyday physical movement, and to instruct the essentialness of general physical action for wellbeing. Shockingly, most individuals' get little to no general physical activity while in school. Budgetary obligations and the pressure to increase test scores have brought on school authorities to address the worth of PE and other physical activity programs. This has prompted a significant lessening in the time accessible for PE, and in a few cases, school-based physical action projects have been totally eliminated.
One of the biggest problems we currently face as a society is obesity. People all over the nation question why we are having this problem and who is responsible. Who do we turn to to educate our society so that we may address this problem the correct way? The answer: healthy eating habits and exercising should be taught early in a child's life. An excellent place to build these fitness foundations is where children spend almost a third of their time: at school. Physical education should be available for all kindergarten through twelfth-grade students in order to tackle the problems of obesity.
Samantha Cleaver’s article titled “Is Your Child Getting Enough Physical Education?” addresses America’s past and previous issues regarding obesity. In addition, she also brings up the fact our country is overlooking the real reason as to why obesity is still a problem if children are required to take physical education classes. Cleaver explains that “only 4 percent of elementary schools, 7 percent middle schools, and 2 percent of high schools provide daily physical education classes for the entire year” (Cleaver, 2008) . Furthermore, Cleaver brings to our attention that America should take into consideration the small amount of physical education students are receiving, and the amount of time they are being active in the classroom. She
Opposition of mandatory Physical Education in high schools believe that if a student has not developed a desire for voluntary physical exercise by the time he or she reaches high school , he or she may not ever (Eberhardt). It is true that individuals should not be forced into something they don’t want to participate in, but if these students don’t get any exercise outside of school, where will they receive an appropriate amount of fitness? Paul Eberhardt, athletic director, intramural director and head coach of the McNair Marlins basketball team in Richmond, B.C., believes “that students don’t care about participating in P.E. anymore and we have to educate students on the benefits of Physical Education”. In the 1994-1995 school year there were 1,133 students enrolled at McNair High School but there were only four P.E. classes available, which meant approximately 120 students attended in these classes. The remaining 1013 grade eleven and twelve students had no Physical Education at all. This is an astonishing figure. “Many students participate in sports and recreation activities outside of school, but most of them get hardly any exercise at all.
Over the past decades our culture has changes dramatically. To which our nation was once a physically active nation. Yet now it seems that society discourages physical activity. The human race has been dependent on automobiles, discouraging people to walk or bike, increasing the chance of a poor life-style. Yet there are many factors that affect the achievement and maintenance of a healthy life. Young people are growing into a diverse society, which is characterized by rapid change, inactive work and leisure practices that influence unhealthy behaviors. By incorporating physical activity into peoples daily routine will increase their chances of being healthier, reducing certain diseases and learning how to avoid injuries. Physical education helps students improve their knowledge about health issues and practices that will lead to a more enjoyable life. Students playing and working in a team together develop social skills, teamwork, achieving goals, and development of self-esteem. Overall physical education provides the potential for a better life style.
Childhood obesity poses a serious threat to the health of our nation, children these days have little to none outdoors activities. Lack of physical activity found to be a significant factor in contributing to childhood obesity. It is very probable that the only outdoors activity that children have now is a P.E. class at school if the school offers it. It doesn’t help that most schools in the United States have had physical activities and recess programs removed from the school. In the article Physical activity and childhood obesity: strategies and solutions for schools and parents the author states, “During active class time, physical educators can look to the teachable moment in which they can talk to an entire class concerning individual differences. Just as the teaching of good sportsmanship should be an essential component of all elementary physical education programs, the recognition of obese and overweight children should be taught so that children become sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others”.
In our society today one of the most difficult problems we are facing is the large numbers of obesity in our children. One of the major factors in that is this; our children have become less physically active. At an early age children start watching TV, learn how to operate a computer, and play video games. Having technological skills is now a necessity in all of our lives because everything has turned “computerized,” but the fact is that our children are relying on these types of entertainment rather than getting up and physically exercising to entertain them selves. This directly affects the large number of obese children in our country today because of the lack of physical exercise. It is not that we want our kids to look a certain way or to be better at sports than everyone else, but it is that we want our kids to be physically fit and to develop a healthy lifestyle. Physical exercise is not only for adults, it is for children as well, so we must understand the importance of our children exercising and the benefits from it. By doing that it will make an impact on that child for the rest of his/her life.
Physical education in schools improves children’s physical health. Getting the recommended amount of exercise can combat obesity. “Regular physical activity can help children and adolescents improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions” (CDC.gov). PHIT America states,
Physical education provides: 1) a variation of motor skills aimed to enhance the physical, mental, social and emotional development, 2) an understanding to improve and maintain their physical well-being and 3) opportunities to develop social and cooperative skills while gaining a multi-cultural perspective. Physical education provides a variety of motor skills aimed at enhancing the physical, mental, social and emotional development. The obesity statistics of 2009 quantified that childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980 and in addition to concerns regarding chronic diseases, overweight and obesity incidences have even led to poorer levels of academic achievement (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Additionally, in order to teach students the importance of preventing these ailments, those who oppose the amount of time spent in physical education or want to cut it out altogether should reconsider. Instead, time in physical education should be as equal as core subjects are seen.
“Physical education plays a critical role in educating the whole student. Research supports the importance of movement in educating both mind and body. Physical education contributes directly to development of physical competence and fitness. It also helps students to make informed choices and understand the value of leading a physically active lifestyle. The benefits of physical education can affect both academic learning and physical activity patterns of students. The healthy, physically active student is more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful. … Throughout the school years, quality physical education can promote social, cooperative and problem solving competencies. Quality physical education programs in our
“Children who exercise regularly have higher levels of self-esteem.” (Brown, W.J. & Brown P.R., 1996, p19). Teaching Physical Education can have immediate health benefits as it helps normalise body weight and body composition. Physical activity also promotes positive mental health. Both immediate outcomes may be useful in motivating physical activity practices so that they have long term benefits. One of the main benefits of physical activity is that “it keeps children involved and that it invariably makes you feel good.” (Brown, W.J. & Brown P.R., 1996, p19). Getting the correct amount of Physical activity in school hours will decrease the rates of obesity and will reduce the risk of diabetes, asthma, heart disease and other health related illness’. Regular exercise for children also helps their cardiovascular health and bone development. There is also evidence that Physical Activity has a positive effect on mental health in children, including reducing anxiety and depression and improving their mood. However, there is some evidence that for children who don’t enjoy Physical Education it can have a negative impact on their self-esteem and