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Too many students (and schools) fail at fitness Physical education seems to be the lowest priority for several local school districts that failed to meet the California requirements for elementary schools requiring 200 minutes of PE every 10 school days. In an age where children are increasingly overweight and obese, this poses a significant problem in need of immediate change. In 2003-04, nearly 20% of children ages 6-11 were overweight, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NAHENS). Based on a report by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, more than half of the elementary school districts surveyed failed to meet California PE standards – Saddleback Valley Unified in Orange County and Apple Valley, Barstow, Hesperia, San Bernardino City, Upland and Yucaipa-Calimesa in San Bernardino County, among them. Yet the report only looked at selected districts chosen by the California Department of Education; Saddleback Valley Unified was the only school district surveyed in Orange County and none in Riverside County were even part of the report. In an age of obesity, omission “It’s a sad fact that PE is education’s ugly stepchild,” reported Harold Goldstein, executive director of the center. “PE doesn’t just help address our obesity crisis. When properly taught, physical education plays a vital role in positively affecting both the academic and behavioral performance of children, while building life-long health habits.” According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 9 million Americans, ages 6-19, are overweight. That’s a tripling in numbers in the past 25 years. These numbers are particularly important because a child’s fitness program often is confined solely to what is offered at school. PE specialists come to the elementary schools in San Bernardino City Unified School District – a district that did not meet state standards – for 50 minutes each week. Though this is not a new program, the district hopes continued instruction for both students and teachers will help the district meet physical fitness standards. “With better training, the teachers should also be able to use the curriculum throughout the week in addition to that 50-minute period,” says Linda Hill, district director of communications. Second-class citizen Why is physical education being pushed to the side? Hill says there are many other requirements each day, including math, social studies and fine arts. More time spent on state testing and the No Child Left Behind law detracts from time on the playground, says Antronette Yancey of the UCLA School of Public Health. But some would argue that physical activity is just as important as meeting test standards. “Physical activity is a crucial component of any child’s life,” says Rett Larson, director at Velocity Sports Performance in Irvine, which works with young athletes to improve their skill, their fitness and their confidence. “The body awareness, balance and coordination that kids gain through PE is very important during their developmental years. Additionally, participation in a fitness program can also often increase a child’s confidence, which has many positive social benefits.” Having PE for the sake of meeting state requirements is useless, Larson says. “Fitness at a young age should be fun, and schools should try to expose young athletes to as many sports as possible in hopes of getting kids hooked,” he adds. The report was compiled from records from the California Department of Education over the last two school years. Onsite reviews followed up on 73 school districts measuring below state standards. Alyssa Urish was an intern at Churm Publishing, Inc. this summer. |
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