Tagged in: Move Live Learn Blog, Physical and Health Education, Teaching

Mandating Quality PE is a Must

Physical activity and healthy living skills are not electives

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We hear this in our schools regarding quality daily physical education (or, 150 minutes/week).

“There just isn’t time.”

“We have to prepare kids for math and literacy standardized tests.”

“Look at this timetable, where would we fit in quality physical education?”

FAST FORWARD.

We hear this throughout our society regarding physical activity at moderate-vigorous intensities 3+ days/week for health benefit:

“I just don’t have time to workout.”

“I’m too tired to complete my to-do list.”

“Wait until you have kids, you won’t have time to workout.”

FAST FORWARD.

We hear this from our doctors:

“Your blood pressure is too high.”

“Your bad cholesterol is too high.”

“You’ve become a type-2 diabetic.”

“You need to change your eating habits.”

“You need to exercise more.”

Stop the madness.
We must stop teaching our children that learning how to tend to their own health is an “add on”. It’s no different than teaching pre-service teachers how to assess learning after learning how to do a lesson plan. Both will appear to be difficult. Both will appear to be overwhelming. We need to teach that it’s normal to exercise. Students need to learn learn both the short and long-term benefits (physical health AND mental resiliency) of physical activity. Adults need to stop saying we are too dang busy to take care of ourselves. If we use our kids as excuse, we must be prepared to ask these same kids to take care of us sooner as we age as we will not live optimally. If that’s difficult to read, I understand - but, it’s true.

Mandate quality PE.
Quality physical education can not be “recommended” by government any longer. It must be mandated. It’s foolish to request taxpayers to fork out so much for health care when so much less could be implemented to affording all children and youth opportunity to grow as physically literate people. Youth sport is great, but it isn’t cutting it - nor will it ever as its own entity as too many kids aren’t afforded opportunity to participate. Physical activity opportunities aren’t plentiful enough to cut it either. It must be a comprehensive school health model with a quality PE specialist at the core.

Facility Design.
Schools, hospitals, and all workplaces must reexamine their infrastructure. Fitness equipment, educated health coaches, and wellness programs should be a part of all human resource department protocol. Flexible schedules should exist in order to promote wellness. Give a little. Gain a lot. It’s that simple. Employees, students, and anyone else I’m forgetting will be more upbeat, less depressed, and much more productive. Give it a try.

Who are our heroines? Who are our heroes?
Do you know someone who is doing just this? Someone who “gets” that quality physical education should not be up for negotiation. Please share below! As well, contact your child’s school to learn how you can help promote quality PE in your community. Write letters to government telling them this is an important voting issue.

It’s 2013, we are experiencing the effects of the last several decades - where physical activity and healthy living has been viewed as an “add on”. How’s it working for us? Let’s apply common sense to some policy and get these schools realizing that quality daily physical education is not an extra, it is normal. We are made to move. It’s not rocket science.

What is today’s quality physical education? Click here to learn more!

  • Amanda,Well-said. It is truly baffling that governments and large organizations continue to ignore hard core facts regarding what is best for us. Recommended vs mandated? Must absolutely be mandated as soon as possible. The time is upon us, as educators, that we must force a tipping point and through continued advocacy and passion it will happen. Continue to spread the word through your blog and your work Amanda. I believe that there needs to be more room in our PE curriculums to focus on developing intrinsically motivated students. Intrinsically motivated to improve as individuals and intrinsically motivated to improve teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills in group settings. All of these factors add to the wellness factor in their lives.

    • astanec

      Dear Andy – thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. I think that a nice thing about technology is that more and more folks who share this passion and commitment can collaborate, critique, and problem solve to move the profession forward and in turn positively impact kids. That’s what it’s all about, eh? Intrinsic motivation is absolutely critical to this! Thanks again!

  • 100% AGREE.

  • Jo Bailey

    Excellent post Amanda- looking after ourselves should be a number one priority. The analogy you use is spot on- the current status quo quite aptly fits the definition of insanity: still not providing the services yet wondering why, years down the road, we have all these health problems.

    • astanec

      Dear Jo – I really appreciate your time to respond to my blog post. It is frustrating that there is so much money going into intervention and not prevention at the school level in a Health Promoting School approach. But, we may get there yet. It’s sad though – to think about why will get there. If the current rates of physical activity, poor nutrition, and obesity continue, a time will come when there is simply no other choice.

  • Well said. As I teach PE longer, I find that it isn’t just the health and knowledge about the body and the mind; it is also the life lessons about team work, communication as well as how to fail and then pick up and move forward and be more resilient in life. It is about becoming more self aware and more aware of others through having to earn trust and be at your best to allow your team to be at its best. and all of these lessons and experiences allow our youth to grow to be well-rounded able adults, who can manage their time and give back to their communities. So, we all win! Keep spreading the word Amanda, we will get there in the end.

    • astanec

      Dear Mel – thanks for this great comment. I completely agree with what you say. You keep doing what you are doing, too. I love blogging because it has connected me to so many “doers” in our profession such as yourself. Very inspired by your work! :)

  • Mike McMillen

    Great post Amanda. One of the things I absolutely hate to hear is that ‘I don’t have the time’ when it comes to doing some form of exercise. It’s an easy excuse for most and for me, this excuse stems from our time in school. If Quality PE is not mandatory and is simply seen as just an ‘add-on’ then clearly governments etc do not value it. If governments do not value it, and instead place greater value on other subjects, then how can we expect children to value physical activity now and in the future? Time is valuable, but it’s not that people don’t have enough time to exercise, it’s because they simply don’t value physical activity enough to spend time on it, a message sent out by governments from a young age. This message needs to be changed. Exercise should never be considered an add-on, it should be part of your every day routine, like brushing your teeth. To achieve this every child needs to experience quality PE that is mandatory, not just recommended. If governments can enforce this and show that they do value Quality PE, then I’m sure more people would also be willing to value it and make exercise a part of their daily lives.

    • astanec

      Dear Mike – thanks for your post! I always use the brushing teeth analogy! :) I do feel that I’m lucky in that the decision has already been made for me. Many people can’t say the same and that’s so sad for me. I love helping people identify ways that they can fit it in. Often, it’s just that they had bad experiences related to physical activity and are completely ignorant to the enjoyment, sense of accomplishment, and social aspects that await them. Quality PE – as you say – is one very key component within a Health Promoting School approach that will serve the plight of “normalcy” in physical activity very well. Thanks again!