Should Physical Education Be Required of All Students Throughout Secondary School?

In the last ten years, our culture has changed dramatically. Our nation was once a physically active nation, yet now it seems that society discourages physical activity and promotes choice in every situation. Physical education helps students improve their knowledge about health issues and practices that will lead to a more enjoyable life. Some schools do not require students to participate in ‘PE’ classes, but it is important for young students to stay physically fit. The rise of obesity in young children has become a growing concern in UK. I will now address some points as to why I feel it should be, I will also include conflicting points of views.

It is a proven fact that our quality of life will improve if we are physically fit. Physical education in schools has the objective of teaching our children how to become and stay physically fit. This takes place in the regular fitness components of physical education, as well as in health classes. Without the knowledge and prior experience, we may be setting our children up to make unhealthy choices which will follow them right into adulthood.

Obesity has become the most significant and alarming health concern in developed nations. It has actually overtaken this unfortunate “title” from smoking. This in turn has very negative consequences and effects upon society. Not only do people become unhealthy and sick, but the resources of society are stretched farther than ever before to help these people. By having physical education in school, we address how to lead healthy lives and stay physically fit at a young age. The intended consequence is the hope that this knowledge will accompany the children as they grow older and thus society in general will benefit greatly.

Physical education in school can obviously help our students to become and stay physically fit. There are physical education programs and plans designed with child fitness as the key outcome. The benefits are numerous, including greatly improving the gross and fine motor skills of our children. However, they can also greatly impact the social, emotional and mental health of children. Properly run physical education and health classes can help our students learn such critical social skills as cooperation, empathy and teamwork. Also, done correctly, it can promote higher self-esteem in our children and an increased sense of self-worth.

One of the most common arguments against providing physical education in schools, is the time it takes away from the other academic subjects such as language and math. Content and demand are greater than ever in these subjects and every minute of instructional time should be earmarked for the academics. Also, many will note that not only does physical education take “time” away from other subjects, but it interferes and conflicts with timetabling and scheduling due to the need to share the gymnasium. This in turn will often “break up” solid blocks of literacy and numeracy time.

Physical education and gym class certainly come with the potential for bullying to take place. Students who may be lacking in gross motor skills or are overweight can quickly become the target of ridicule for their peers. Add to this the horrible practice of “captains picking teams” or the dreaded “changing rooms”…and we have a situation ripe for bullying to occur which has the potential to destroy self-esteem…not nurture it. Physical education programs in schools need to be carefully developed, equitable in nature, actively supervised and empathetic in order to prevent bullying to occur.

We all know that the best type of programs are designed with the unique learning styles and preferences of our students in mind. Whether this be through personalized instruction or differentiated instruction, it is very individual in nature. However, physical education in schools is often designed around whole class activities which provide very little in the way of choice. This lack of ability for students to take charge of their own learning based upon their strengths and experiences can lead to instant disengagement.

In conclusion, all schools should make it mandatory for students to have physical education classes every year. Our society is becoming unhealthier every year because of students lack of exercise. They need to be educated in physical fitness. They can achieve this by participating in physical education classes, learning how to warm up, stretch, and exercise. Obesity is growing in our population every year. Everyone should participate in physical education classes to learn about, and prevent obesity. If we continue with the lack of physical education in schools, we will continue to contribute to the poor health of students.

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