Phys. Ed No Longer Required

Off Topic
41

I loved PE in highschool and I was a fatass. Hockey, football, baseball, wrestling, soccer, weights, climbing ropes, running and something we called gutterball. Checking people in hockey, smashing people in football, drowning people in the pool, running, jumping, seeing who was a baby and couldn’t take it. I wasn’t in any sports so this was my only experience at anything athletic.

I went to a small school and it was not like we had a ton of academic choices but I still took classes at the local college. I don’t feel like gym caused me to miss some great learning experience when I was 15. I barely remember some classes but I have some good memories from gym class. Maybe it was because my teacher wasn’t a pussy and would yell at the kids. I remember one time running around the track I got yelled at for not trying. I was lazy and fat and what I was told made me realize I just didn’t want to try so I wouldn’t fail.

If you can’t write by the time you are 15 and need to take gym class away so that you can practice it may be to late. I liked being a kid and playing games when I was in school.

42

Hell we did a unit of dance. Everyting from waltz, polka, fox step, and even line dancing. We all hated it but it was fun in the end. I like PE and won awards in grade 10,11, and 12 for best student. I think PE is very important for kids in high school. But we also had the best PE teachers around. They all had actual PE/Kines degrees not like other school who have your math teacher teach it. I think it is manditory to take PE up to and including grade 12.

43

It’s been a while but when I was in HS PE consisted of of a rotating series of “units” which were, I think, 1 mo. in length. Boys and girls were separate and for boys sports included things like wrestling, ball sports, gymnastics, weight lifting track and field etc. Obviously training was super basic, but spending a month focusing on a given sport for an hour each day at least gives you a taste. I found the break from sitting on your ass welcome. It was probably good for those who didn’t want to be there as well as it forced them to try things they probably never would have given the choice.

44

my little sisters highschool P.E has just been changed and they had loads of options for different sports at the begining of the year. she eventually chose air rifle shooting and archery, then everybody has to do a basic pe class once a month.
there was also an option to go off-site to a gym (my one infact) but due to insurance reasons, they couldnt use any weight machines or free weights - so they could go shooting both rifles and bows, but not go on a weight machine?

45

[quote]
If you have a problem and the current “solution” to the problem is not affecting the desired changes, reform the solution. If anything we need more and better PE. [/quote]

I agree with this. I think that PE class is extremely important for kids. It is considered a fluff class to most here because your programs sucked (likely due to lack of funding since no one thinks it’s important) and you went once a week for 2 hours, which is certainly not enough time.

For everyone who says it’s the parent’s job to educate: Yes I agree, that would be IDEAL but clearly, as we can see from the anecdotes of people here and the state of America, this is not happening. The parents don’t know anything about health and exercise, so how can they pass it on to their children? If we don’t teach the children because we completely take away PE and don’t reinforce the idea that it is as important as math and biology (though, if you’re able to teach it correctly it could be considered a science) then how do we end the cycle?

We can go on all day about how parents SHOULD act but we must face the reality that parents do not always act in a manner that is ideal or best for the children. So what can we do to either educate the parent or educate the child so that they can pass it on to their children when they’re parents? Taking away PE and health doesn’t help. Also making sure that PE and health classes aren’t utterly useless. My health class taught me abstinence-only and how to survive if my small plane ever crashed in a desert. (Answer: DON’T EAT THE SALT CUBE) That’s about all I remember.

I say all of this coming from a gym class in high school that met 1.5 hrs per week with over 100 people in each class. Yeah a lot got done for sure.

46

I think it really comes down to budget cuts. More emphasis is being placed on other courses, and with the resources needed, it leaves little left over for other ‘non-core,’ classes.

47

Here’s how PE might actually work: beginning from the second year everyone must be able to do 10 strict dead hang chins, and 30 strict push-ups (same for girls)… or bench, say, BW and DL 1.5 BW for guys…or chin, push-up AND DL (that would actually insure a decent amount of muscle, bone and conjunctive tissue…must now add something for cardiovascular conditioning. Maybe a prowler or sandbag carries). Mandatory testing once a month until graduation.
And if you don’t pass them (say, get a number of points) you can’t get the graduation diploma.

btw, the only real cost would be supplying an adequate number of bars and discs so that all students can DL at school…with some “DLs prevent osteoporosis, hip fractures and disc herniations (when properly done)” and “chins will get you a better six pack than a million crunches” being taught, you’d have to spend so much less on all the above mentioned conditions (and a bunch more) that the bars wouldn’t look that expensive. Heck, 1.5 BW. You don’t have to buy Eleiko/Ivanko etc. bars and discs.

What do you think? (mandatory deadlifting and chins…that’s a dream…but…still…who knows…)

48

Personally I didnt like PE. I neeed that extra time to fit in time for studying for exams and training for state level soccer. Playing volleyball with the girls didnt cut it. I remember the longest rally was 3. What a waste of time.
tweet tweet

49

I agree it is the parents responsibility. Leave it as an option, not mandatory.

My kids have to be active in something extracurricular throughout the year. It is their choice what it is, doesn’t even have to be sports, but they HAVE to do something. The thing is we lead by example, our kids are motivated because WE are motivated. Now we find ourselves having to limit how many things they can do at once.

50

to those saying “who worked out in PE”, did your school not have an elective weight training class? Granted, this is probably different than the original question or article. But, I took weight training last 2 yrs of HS, and we actually lifted in there. Good stuff

51

[quote]Solarisol wrote:

[quote]
If you have a problem and the current “solution” to the problem is not affecting the desired changes, reform the solution. If anything we need more and better PE. [/quote]

I agree with this. I think that PE class is extremely important for kids. It is considered a fluff class to most here because your programs sucked (likely due to lack of funding since no one thinks it’s important) and you went once a week for 2 hours, which is certainly not enough time.

For everyone who says it’s the parent’s job to educate: Yes I agree, that would be IDEAL but clearly, as we can see from the anecdotes of people here and the state of America, this is not happening. The parents don’t know anything about health and exercise, so how can they pass it on to their children? If we don’t teach the children because we completely take away PE and don’t reinforce the idea that it is as important as math and biology (though, if you’re able to teach it correctly it could be considered a science) then how do we end the cycle?[/quote]

Question, why do you think a one hour PE program is going to be able to outdo a home where the parents don’t know and don’t care about eating better and working out?

You can’t start with the kids. That does little good without changing the perspective of the PARENTS. Also, many of these parents would ask for the teacher’s head if they so much as made their kid feel like they were fat to start with…so what good is PE doing if they get zero reinforcement at home?

These kids can’t read and can’t write. Look at how some of these teenagers write on this board. I mean, the high school kid who responded in this thread would be better served having an extra 50 minutes in a writing program than worrying about standing around in gym clothes for 30min because it takes 15min before and after to change clothes.

[quote]
We can go on all day about how parents SHOULD act but we must face the reality that parents do not always act in a manner that is ideal or best for the children. [/quote]

Then maybe we need to stop letting that slide as a society. That is called NEGLECT. Somehow, people will yell and scream because some woman gives her kid hot sauce but we sit here and tolerate dumb parents allowing their fat kids to hit 250lbs in the 8th grade. Something is fucking wrong with this picture.

[quote]
So what can we do to either educate the parent or educate the child so that they can pass it on to their children when they’re parents? Taking away PE and health doesn’t help. Also making sure that PE and health classes aren’t utterly useless. My health class taught me abstinence-only and how to survive if my small plane ever crashed in a desert. (Answer: DON’T EAT THE SALT CUBE) That’s about all I remember.

I say all of this coming from a gym class in high school that met 1.5 hrs per week with over 100 people in each class. Yeah a lot got done for sure.[/quote]

Most PE programs are a joke…and when you have parents who don’t want their kids working that hard in the first place (I mean, do you think they won’t complain if little Johhny actually has to work so hard it hurts a little??), and parents who act like they won’t allow teachers to reprimand the kids at all, how the hell is that supposed to work?

They want to baby the kids while also changing their mentality while also not even saying they are fat while ignoring their home life.

That makes ZERO sense.

tax parents who have obese kids and I bet we have some changes…but then, now it becomes a debate about whether we want more government control.

Bottom line, PE in the US is a joke and has been since the 70’s at least. If they don’t get it at home, don’t expect the school to be able to change those bad habits.

There were no fat kids in my neighborhood. Most of the guys looked more developed than many posters here…but then, they also came home from school, did homework and then stayed outside playing basketball until dark…not X-box.

52

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I agree it is the parents responsibility. Leave it as an option, not mandatory.

My kids have to be active in something extracurricular throughout the year. It is their choice what it is, doesn’t even have to be sports, but they HAVE to do something. The thing is we lead by example, our kids are motivated because WE are motivated. Now we find ourselves having to limit how many things they can do at once.[/quote]

Again I reiterate, what do we do for the children who do not have the good fortune to have educated parents who are health-conscious? What do we do for children whose parents work too much or don’t care enough to drive them to practice after practice? I suppose they could join a school sports team - oh wait schools have been cutting funding for that too.

If PE becomes optional it is an even more appealing program to cut funding from, even when it’s required it’s one of the first things to go to the chop block.

In my school if you played a school sport or were in marching band you didn’t have to take a PE class junior / senior year. However it was mandatory for everyone else. This seems a decent solution to the issue of those who already have enough on their plate.

I think it’s really great that you care about your children enough to teach them about such important things and make sure they’re staying active. If more parents were like you perhaps obesity and ignorance about health and exercise would not be so prevalent. Sadly this is not the case for a lot of kids.

53

[quote]Solarisol wrote:

Again I reiterate, what do we do for the children who do not have the good fortune to have educated parents who are health-conscious? [/quote]

We finally realize how screwed we are that we allowed so many inept people in this country to have kids in the first place.

[quote]

What do we do for children whose parents work too much or don’t care enough to drive them to practice after practice? I suppose they could join a school sports team - oh wait schools have been cutting funding for that too.[/quote]

Well, yeah, because most public schools aren’t rich, especially in poor suburban neighborhoods…and frankly, in some of these “hoods”, how that kid is going to eat tonight takes precedence over how many jumping jacks they do.

Again, this comes back to parenting. It is the parents job to see the NEED for physical activity in a healthy kid’s life. Without that KEY ASPECT, programs like PE will be cut…because they don’t matter anyway is these kids can eat doughnuts for dinner.

[quote]

If PE becomes optional it is an even more appealing program to cut funding from, even when it’s required it’s one of the first things to go to the chop block. [/quote]

I know of very few people in this country to went to a PUBLIC SCHOOL who can claim they actually trained hard during regular PE classes. Most of them were a joke and just a way for us to let off steam during the day, nothing more.

54

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Question, why do you think a one hour PE program is going to be able to outdo a home where the parents don’t know and don’t care about eating better and working out? [/quote]

I don’t think a 1 hr PE program can. I think making it more of a priority in education and giving it the time per week it deserves - not only in teaching kids certain sports and getting them active at some point in the day - but also in the “Health Class” component that has the potential to be a much more useful course that teaches kids about nutrition or anatomy basics.

[quote]
You can’t start with the kids. That does little good without changing the perspective of the PARENTS. Also, many of these parents would ask for the teacher’s head if they so much as made their kid feel like they were fat to start with…so what good is PE doing if they get zero reinforcement at home? [/quote]

It’s much more difficult to change a parent’s perspective than a child’s. I’m not suggesting that a good PE and Health program will be successful with every child. It’s true that we can’t change what the parents have them doing at home. But giving a 1 or 2 hr block during the day where kids are being active helps, not only in their physical well-being but exercise helps focus and performance in the classroom also.

[quote]
Then maybe we need to stop letting that slide as a society. That is called NEGLECT. Somehow, people will yell and scream because some woman gives her kid hot sauce but we sit here and tolerate dumb parents allowing their fat kids to hit 250lbs in the 8th grade. Something is fucking wrong with this picture. [/quote]

It is considered child abuse in some cases to let your young child become massively obese, yes, and I have read certain cases where the child was taken away. (Example: This story makes me so so sad, a young girl shouldn’t have to deal with that: Fat Jessica - Now - YouTube)

But not all children are such extreme cases and debating at what point it is neglect / not neglect opens a whole other debate. It’s great that the mother in the video I posted got educated and they’re both healthier and well educated, and I’m sure that child will not let her future children go down the path she did. That’s wonderful and if we had the resources for educating all parents and children that would be swell. And yeah, I agree that there is something wrong in the present picture of society.

[quote]
Most PE programs are a joke…and when you have parents who don’t want their kids working that hard in the first place (I mean, do you think they won’t complain if little Johhny actually has to work so hard it hurts a little??), and parents who act like they won’t allow teachers to reprimand the kids at all, how the hell is that supposed to work? [/quote]

Hellll yes most PE programs are a joke. That’s a problem. I had a worthless PE program, I read a lot of other here had worthless PE programs…I think a program similar to the one in this article: http://www.johnratey.com/Articles/Physical%20exercise%20in%20school%20by%20Robert%20Brooks.pdf would be amazing to have in schools. But it requires things like, money, which to get requires interest and a recognition of its importance in a school environment.

“We should appreciate that academic achievement is enhanced
with physical activity. One need only examine what
occurred in Titusville, Pennsylvania, a town of 6,000
residents in which 75 percent of the kindergarten students
receive government assistance for school lunches. The
secondary school staff adopted the Naperville program and
took the bold step of restructuring the school day, adding
ten minutes to the schedule while lessening a small amount
of time from academic classes to include time for daily gym.
The results at Titusville were striking. Since the program
was started in 2000, standardized scores of students moved
from below the state average to 17 percent above it in
reading and 18 percent above it in math. As significant were
the social-emotional gains, including not a single fistfight
among the 550 junior high students since the program began”

[quote]
tax parents who have obese kids and I bet we have some changes…but then, now it becomes a debate about whether we want more government control.

Bottom line, PE in the US is a joke and has been since the 70’s at least. If they don’t get it at home, don’t expect the school to be able to change those bad habits. [/quote]

It is a joke and I think that needs to change - not get rid of it or make it optional when kids desperately need it.

[quote]
There were no fat kids in my neighborhood. Most of the guys looked more developed than many posters here…but then, they also came home from school, did homework and then stayed outside playing basketball until dark…not X-box.[/quote]

Maybe you didn’t see the fat kids because they were inside playing X-box!

55

This whole fat kid scenario is bullshit. I have traveled the US and the world. It isn’t the kids, it is the adults that are fat.

Kids in South Carolina and South Africa are basically skinny.

56

[quote]Solarisol wrote:

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I agree it is the parents responsibility. Leave it as an option, not mandatory.

My kids have to be active in something extracurricular throughout the year. It is their choice what it is, doesn’t even have to be sports, but they HAVE to do something. The thing is we lead by example, our kids are motivated because WE are motivated. Now we find ourselves having to limit how many things they can do at once.[/quote]

Again I reiterate, what do we do for the children who do not have the good fortune to have educated parents who are health-conscious? What do we do for children whose parents work too much or don’t care enough to drive them to practice after practice? I suppose they could join a school sports team - oh wait schools have been cutting funding for that too.

If PE becomes optional it is an even more appealing program to cut funding from, even when it’s required it’s one of the first things to go to the chop block.

In my school if you played a school sport or were in marching band you didn’t have to take a PE class junior / senior year. However it was mandatory for everyone else. This seems a decent solution to the issue of those who already have enough on their plate.

I think it’s really great that you care about your children enough to teach them about such important things and make sure they’re staying active. If more parents were like you perhaps obesity and ignorance about health and exercise would not be so prevalent. Sadly this is not the case for a lot of kids. [/quote]

I get what you are saying, to a degree, but what ever happened to personal responsibility? Why is it the schools job, when the parents don’t care?

I do think the schools should give younger children a taste of physical exertion to introduce them to it, but why force it on them, if by high school they have decided it is not their thing? Gym class in high school didn’t make me want to be active, it just introduced me to jock bullies in the locker room.

57

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I get what you are saying, to a degree, but what ever happened to personal responsibility? Why is it the schools job, when the parents don’t care?
[/quote]

It’d be nice if all parents are responsible and awesome but they’re not, that’s the point, do we just say to kids who have shitty parents ‘welp sucks to be you.’? Or do we try to do something for them to give them a chance? I prefer the latter.

58

[quote]Solarisol wrote:

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I get what you are saying, to a degree, but what ever happened to personal responsibility? Why is it the schools job, when the parents don’t care?
[/quote]

It’d be nice if all parents are responsible and awesome but they’re not, that’s the point, do we just say to kids who have shitty parents ‘welp sucks to be you.’? Or do we try to do something for them to give them a chance? I prefer the latter.[/quote]

It seems to me that requiring P.E. through jr high is giving them a chance. If it hasn’t clicked by highschool odds are it probably won’t.

From personal experience I can say that I hated P.E. in highscool. Although athletic I wasn’t a jock and the bullying made for a miserable experience. Got in lots of fights, because although I wasn’t a big guy I also wasn’t about to take their shit. It would not have set me back at all to have not had P.E.

59

[quote]SteelyD wrote:

Schools don’t NEED phys ed as “a requirement for graduation” when there are so many kids graduating somehow without fundamental math and reading skills.

No phys ed a travesty? No. Colleges offering remedial math and reading classes is a goddammed national travesty.[/quote]

Amen.

60

[quote]Solarisol wrote:

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I get what you are saying, to a degree, but what ever happened to personal responsibility? Why is it the schools job, when the parents don’t care?
[/quote]

It’d be nice if all parents are responsible and awesome but they’re not, that’s the point, do we just say to kids who have shitty parents ‘welp sucks to be you.’? Or do we try to do something for them to give them a chance? I prefer the latter.[/quote]

Dude, there is a reason you don’t teach a kid to learn the piano at the age of 18 and expect them to “get it” as fast as someone who started at age 5. If you really wanted to make a change, you would enforce this at a very young age AND get the parents involved…which is not likely when the parent works more than one job and the child is a latch-key kid.

Does it suck? Yes…but good intentions don’t matter if the plan fails anyway.

If you are waiting until high school to enforce mandatory PE, it won’t matter anyway.