Schools are education centres. The subject of physical education is misused as sport time or “bludge” time, and the more time that’s devoted to that, the less time there is for education. Kids trying playing sport in their breaks should be admonished (just like kids playing video games). I’m not against competition, by the way; but at school it should be mental, not physical.
Having said all that, there should be a way for kids to more easily get involved in sport outside of school. That way it won’t be a distraction from the important stuff and will stop driving non-sporty kids half-mad with both boredom and dread like it does now.
considering obesity is a big problem, and that physical activity greatly increases mental capabilities, this is really stupid.
A TON of studies show how physical activity improves brain functioning, memory, attention, energy, etc. Althought I was that kid litterally dreading physical education classes, I completely have to disagree with this.
Not only should they keep those classes, but also add more opportunities outside of school too as you mentioned. There should be team sports, but also individual physical activities so that kids can learn early on how to create a routine for themselves and pick up the habit of integrating this into their daily lives.
To me, this is like saying we should cut on lunch time because eating is not part of learning and there’s no time for this… Students are whole humans and all their needs that support their learning should be supported.
I think there should be mandatory sports like I had in High School. I wouldn’t have played sports otherwise. I went from an obese freshman to a 190lb <10% bodyfat senior. My grades improved as I got healthier. Don't underestimate the importance of exercise and health on intellectual success.
How are sports not educational?
Because people that never did sports think they are smarter for not having done so.
i attended american public schools for like 6 years and I’ve never learnt teamwork and cooperation from PE. Im definitely an advocate for exercising with sports or any activity you like, but all that ever happened in my schools were the popular athletic guys getting pissed at anyone who wasn’t playing on their level. Maybe I’m biased bc i prefer dance over sports for myself, but PE at school never did anything beneficial for me or most of my friends. This isnt to say that PE should be eradicated bc i don’t like it, but i think there are ways it could be way more helpful and considerate of students who aren’t cant do well in sports. My friend has many serious health concerns to do with her heart and it was always so sad that she could be there with the rest of us. I’m highly allergic to dust, pollen and many insects and PE outside during spring/summer was always a nightmare for me. Sorry for the long rant!!! I just wanted to say that PE, as its being taught in many schools, doesn’t really help as much as it could, and even causes harm in some cases.
First, separating the physical from the mental is silly and overly simplistic. Sports teaches cooperation and problem solving skills.
Obesity is a growing global problem and the best way to combat this is early on in life. Each child should be encouraged to find whatever form of physical activity that suits them. Does it have to be an organized sport? No, but that’s one of the best ways to keep children engaged. A lot of times the kids who are pegged as non-sporty end up finding an interest in sports that aren’t commonly available in schools.
Okay absolutely disagree with a passion.
I grew up with a mental disorder that made me struggle academicly, I’m not stupid, I’m not low iq. I just had issues focusing and with concentration (adhd).
I went to a school were they encouraged rugby, and I found my calling, if it wasn’t for my sports scholarship I don’t know where I would be. I managed to scrape by with the aid of the scholarship and managed to end up playing professionally. Rugby thought me determination and perseverance like school couldn’t, it turned my life around. If it wasn’t for that I’d either be a drug addict or dealer most likely.
There’s a lot of kids out there in my position, lots of kids that need that help. And I would fight tooth and nail to never allow that to be taken away from them.