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Thursday, April 24, 2008
How important is P.E.?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett County school leaders are considering allowing middle school students to spend less time in gym and health classes so kidscan have more time in electives like art and band.
The school district currently requires middle school students to take nine weeks of health and nine weeks of physical education each year, according to a story by Aileen Dodd. The state doesn’t have these requirements and some Gwinnett parents have asked for their kids to have the freedom to take other classes.
Meanwhile there’s been some national debate to make physical education a part of No Child Left Behind. Richards Simmons talked about it recently on the Today show. The American Heart Association has suggested a bill that would require states to include physical education in their NCLB plans.
Does gym belong on the same level of importance as math or reading? The argument can be made that physical health is important, but are we willing to let students have fewer gym classes if it means they can have more arts classes? What classes do we value more than physical education?
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