“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”
–John F. Kennedy
I realize that it is mid-summer, and school is the farthest thing from a parent’s or (especially) a child’s mind. Nevertheless, the back-to-school displays will soon be going up and our thoughts will turn to education.
I am glad that we are transitioning our youngest to middle school. This means no more list of school supplies to buy. I was always troubled by the process of sending a child off to school with a box of pencils, erasers, glue sticks, rulers, scissors, paper, etc. (all stuff that seemed to be provided when I was in elementary school). I had no problem spending the money. I was just confused by the logic. Surely, it would have saved everyone the stress and time spent looking very specific items (for some reason not just any brand of #2 pencil was sufficient). I always thought it would be far more economical for the school district to buy in bulk and just access a fee to the parents. All questions of logic aside, what was missing from the list were items relative to physical education. Surely, items like balls, bats, cones, jump ropes, etc. are as important as #2 pencils. Unfortunately, physical education (now referred to as “wellness” in many schools) keeps getting bumped down the priority list.
The USDHHS recommendation for daily physical activity for children and adolescents ages 6-17 (i.e., K-12) is 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. I am confident that few schools are coming close to even 60 minutes per week of physical education. There is, of course, recess in the lowest grades, but even this is limited and activity (or inactivity) is self-selected. This activity drops off dramatically as the student passes on to middle school and high school and physical education becomes an “elective”. This was certainly not the intent of President Eisenhower when he initiated the President’s Council on Youth Fitness (changed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness by President Kennedy in 1963).
When I went to Wikipedia to confirm dates, I was surprised be the brevity of the information on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. [The name has evolved over the decades to reflect and emphasis on the importance of sports (1968) and nutrition (2010).] I grew up with the Presidential Physical Fitness Award—something I never saw emphasized with my two children. Other than brief sentences stating the dates when the Presidential Sports Award Program and National Physical Fitness and Sports Month (clearly an indicator that something is under-emphasized) were created and when a couple of reports were released, the history is rather scant. Seemingly, the physical fitness and health of our young is a rather minor priority. Of course, it is possible that no one has made recording the history of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition on Wikipedia a priority, but I would stand by my observation that youth physical fitness is simply not the priority it should be. Sadly, I think there has been a shift in expectation that youth sports will fill the void formed by an ever-decreasing commitment to physical education.
I saw, as my children moved through primary school, an increase in the number of bus stops in our neighborhood. It got to the point where my daughters bus stopped at both ends of the same block!! Now, I don’t fault the schools for this, because it is obvious that these decisions are driven by parents. Some argue that it is for the safety of the children. I would argue it is for the convenience of the parents. (Honestly, who is harmed in walking an extra block or two to a bus??)
I believe it is time for parents to stand up to those who would limit our children’s physical activity—the few voices that cause schools to cower in fear of litigation—and demand more physical activity and communities that will support, rather than hinder, outdoor physical activity (our children could bike to school were it not for unsafe roads and a lack of sidewalks or foot/bike paths to the schools).
There is no paucity of evidence to support the physiological and psychological benefits of physical activity in young people. Nevertheless, we prefer that our children spend more time sitting and being taught to the standardized tests than to spend tax dollars to support Physical Education (and, I would vigorously add, Art and Music). In my opinion, there is a high price paid for this in the long run.
I support our teachers. I prefer STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) over STEM, but also demand the inclusion of physical education somewhere in that equation. Call it the “four Rs”—reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmatic, and running.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!
Image source: https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/resources/2018-state-report-map