Physical Education

The point of an education is to be well rounded. That involves everything - PE, the arts, sciences, mathematics, the humanities. That's the idea. And a healthy body is just as important as a healthy mind. Yes, you'll have to suck it up and play dodgeball.

I believe that if the educational system is going to compel the participation in P.E., then there has to be improvements in that arena. P.E. should be an hour block that the entire class level shares, where there are activities that everyone can enjoy. This ranges from low impact activities like joining other students and faculty in walking a set distance, to higher activity games as well. No one student should be forced to participate in activities they feel are beyond their fitness level. Only a small percentage of Grades given in P.E. should be given depending on the amount improvement of their fitness level during the grading period. Any improvement, and participation should be graded instead, with bonuses for choosing to participate out of your "comfort zone"

While I am perfectly happy with encouraging a healthy amount of activity and lifestyle, it should never be forced on students, and should only be a means to teach kids what they can do to stay healthy. A large part of me believes that P.E. should incorporate more of a "Health" class aspect too, with such things being taught throughout the course of P.E. instead of in all one class block.
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What's interesting to me is how there's so much talk about people being "forced" to do PE. I know I do this a lot, and perhaps I do it too much, but let me offer a comparison: China (seriously though it can be very insightful to look outside your own culture and be aware of underlying assumptions in your thinking).

Back in my parents' day and back when I was a child (I don't know about this past decade, although there's no big reason to think anything would change), PE was a very big part of Chinese education (I don't even think I can say this. All I can really say that PE is a more deeply entrenched social institution compared to how those in North America perceive it, I'm not saying that PE has any special kind of emphasis in Chinese primary education per se). What happens is that there would be group exercises for recess and all the students would go out to the front yard and do calisthenics. There just isn't the concept of sitting out. I don't think it's that sitting out isn't an option so much that sitting out isn't something that people think about. What I take away from this is that people just don't conceive PE as something that's forced upon them - sure they might have days that they don't feel like getting up and moving but whether they did it anyways or sat out isn't as important as the fact that participation is the norm, not the right to refuse.

I don't believe that there are many hard and fast rules in society, our behavior is mostly guided by norms. But when it's normal to sit out on things and refuse - what's important isn't whether the refusal is justified or not but that refusing things for whatever reason is perceived as normal and not questioned - well, people simply aren't going to do things. And no matter how you encourage PE or make it look good people are going to sit out because the mindset is that this thing threatens them and forcing people to do things they don't want is bad and this thing makes them feel bad and people are telling them they should do it but then it's forcing them and so they should avoid it. People do (and don't) things because they find it normal, and while this doesn't have any rhyme or reason it's part of human nature, we tend to go with the flow.

Individualism and the fear of being forced to do things are values of Western culture. What I'm proposing now is as long as these attitudes and mindsets are mainstream, there might not be much we can do about the issue of encouraging PE, or exercise or healthy lifestyles in general. When the paradigm - especially what we care most about - is personal "sovereignty", people and ideas which disagree with you are going to be viewed as threats, and "me myself and I"* is going to be viewed as a bastion to which you retreat from said threats. I think society should put less emphasis on this way of thinking.

*I'm speaking critically of individualism in this context because one can be a terrible judge of their own fitness ability and potential - especially if they have a low knowledge base as well as poor self-esteem. Anybody with the slimmest amount of experience with the military can attest to the importance of others bringing out the best in you. Is your section being too slack? Motivate them! A person is not the only, let alone the best, judge of themselves.

My thing - work out 20 minutes a day, take up at least (≥) one (1) sport in high school (yes, marching band counts), and figure out what you like, and stick to that. If you hate anything more than that, don't do it. No amount of PE bs will convince me American Football or soccer is the **** if I don't already think that before I took PE.

And I don't think it's that broken anyways – if I take 4 years of Marching Band (a sport I like) I can be exempt from PE for the four years at high school (and I have been), and if I liked football they could exempt me from the PE credits if I take four years of football. Sports are an integral part of having a well-rounded education, and you don't have to hate yourself in shorts almost pooping yourself running for 2 whole years to get that part of education. So don't do that, and instead find a sport you like.

LoudSilence said:

Well, what about all the other subjects required in school? Isn't their inclusion in the curriculum "enforcing" one to take notice of them? If we removed PE tomorrow, what about the kids who might only wish to engage in physical activities and not learn about the arts at all -- don't they deserve encouragement rather than deprivation?

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Yes, they do deserve their encouragement if that is what they enjoy doing. I'm not suggesting we remove PE from schools, I'm suggesting we remove mandatory PE from schools. My belief is the only subjects that should be taught compulsorily are the basic ones that will allow them to function within society: maths, English/language-of-whatever-country-you're-in, Geography, perhaps History. The rest; arts, PE, woodshop etc should all be electives taken on personal interest.

Gexeys said:

If a young healthy and active child is too lazy to do 2+ hours of sport per week then they've been enforced into a unhealthy lifestyle. If a child is too lazy to be active then it should be enforced, it's unhealthy not to be active.

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OK but who decides that? Who decides that a kid is so unhealthy that it's their business to intervene and save them from themselves? I almost feel like you're pushing my argument for me. If a young person is as you say "too lazy", that isn't indicative that they've been forced into anything, it's the build up of bad habits over time. That says to me that they need to be encouraged to break that chain, but the way to do that is not a mandatory lesson. When you're dealing with kids and especially teens, they push against what they feel they're being forced to do against their will.

Being fat isn't healthy, if the kids were healthy they wouldn't be fat. If a child is too unfit or lazy to do one hours physical work per week, keep in mind that's 1 out of 168 hours of the week how on earth will they be healthy in their life when it's not enforced. It's about being in a mindset.

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This once again makes the assumption that their health is anybody else's business. But rolling with that assumption, you can't force someone into a mindset. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. Only someone can put themselves in a mindset and you know how to help them with that? You guessed it, encouragement. Not enforcement.

Shining Raichu said:

I firmly believe that PE should be taken out of school curriculums. PE is not encouraging a healthy lifestyle, it's enforcing one. Exercise should be encouraged, not enforced. Besides how much good can that one hour once or twice a week do anybody? The only lesson PE actually teaches is a lesson to the fat and uncoordinated kids on how to deal with bullying.

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Well said. Although I might have to disagree on you on taking PE being taken completely out of curriculums. Not only does physical activity satisfy a healthy lifestyle, but it provides a great social environment as well. That being said, I agree that a healthy lifestyle shouldn't have to be forced down throats, but encouraged. It is entirely up to the individual themselves whether they want to live a healthy, long life (disregarding health issues for a second) or a sedentary one. I commend those who are overweight and make efforts towards giving their life a chance. If you're overweight and complaining, then it's no one's fault by your own, unless it's genetics. I don't mean to be harsh or anything, but I have somewhat of a black and white perspective when it comes to issues like these.

Shining Raichu said:

Yes, they do deserve their encouragement if that is what they enjoy doing. I'm not suggesting we remove PE from schools, I'm suggesting we remove mandatory PE from schools. My belief is the only subjects that should be taught compulsorily are the basic ones that will allow them to function within society: maths, English/language-of-whatever-country-you're-in, Geography, perhaps History. The rest; arts, PE, woodshop etc should all be electives taken on personal interest.

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I understand where you're coming from, but the problem arises when determining what exactly is necessary to function within society. Some people might argue that the issues you've excluded are just as vital.

Physical Education of some sort should be mandatory as well as some sorts of visual arts program. Obesity is a leading issue in America today, and it is because kids don't receive the exercise that they need. The government has wasted money on a myriad of programs imo, they should keep up with the spending on PE for public education facilities throughout America. At least one year of P.E. should be required in every high school.

acatfrommars said:

Physical Education of some sort should be mandatory as well as some sorts of visual arts program. Obesity is a leading issue in America today, and it is because kids don't receive the exercise that they need. The government has wasted money on a myriad of programs imo, they should keep up with the spending on PE for public education facilities throughout America. At least one year of P.E. should be required in every high school.

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Coming from the perspective of a student, the P.E. in school behaves much like the academics. There is always that one kid who doesn't care. Academically it's more often the druggy kid who maybe didn't grow up in the best environment than it is the kid who grew up in a good environment. As for P.E., the kid who doesn't care is usually the fat kid because exercise and physical activity (at their current state) causes a lot less pleasure and entertainment that a couch with a TV and a bag of chips. In both cases, it's the student who probably needs it more than the rest

We all knew the fat kid in school, and today there are many more than just one. I will admit though of the "fat" kids in school, they are all in 1 of three states of mind (listed from the most common to the least common).
1) The kid who doesn't care, he/she makes the fat jokes too and finds a way to be accepted.
2) The kid who is in denial; he/she may be 400lb but still claim to be big boned and has told himself/herself so many times that they're not fat that they're actually believing it. Usually their friends have backed off the subject as discussing it causes more trouble and drama than it's worth.
3) The kid who actually cares, feels embarrassed or ashamed, and would love to be able to change. Usually they're less social and stick with their group of friends because they are scared people won't accept them.

Also, P.E. is required, in fact 1.5 years of it is needed just to graduate. You can take more of course, but you can probably guess who chooses to take more. Most often it's the kids on the athletic teams who are already fit, with some stragglers split between "I would like to be in better shape", or "I wish I could finally get that six pack", and "Gym is such an easy class who cares if I have to work out and exercise; easy A"

acatfrommars said:

Physical Education of some sort should be mandatory as well as some sorts of visual arts program. Obesity is a leading issue in America today, and it is because kids don't receive the exercise that they need. The government has wasted money on a myriad of programs imo, they should keep up with the spending on PE for public education facilities throughout America. At least one year of P.E. should be required in every high school.

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I agree with you with physical education being mandatory; during high school the first year was a compulsory course, and any additional years of gym would be considered an elective. Although, why should visual arts be required? To be honest, I've never understand why we were forced to take a visual arts/music credit because there are only a select few who would be interested and have a passion thus I think it should be an elective more. Since I didn't like the idea of doing arts, I opted for taking vocals as my credit.

On the other hand though, physical education is setting students up for a healthy lifestyle. Whether they decide to actually utilize those tools and what they learned in real life is another question, but regardless. I feel that a physical education course in school should be mandatory.

PE is a joke. The kids don't try, the warmups and games aren't very physically demanding, and no one really cares if you get the amount of push ups and sit ups you're supposed to get at the end of each marking period.

PE does not set up anybody for a more healthy lifestyle nor does it solve any obesity problem a country may have. It's just a school's way of claiming they're "doing something about obesity" without actually doing much about obesity.

If PE was actually changing people's mindsets and made them want to be more healthy, play sports, etc, then I would support it. But everyone treats it like a joke class and it pretty much is a joke class to begin with.