By Emily Michaud
LCS, Grade 6
Schools are starting to cut physical education classes. They are doing this because of budget cuts and a bigger focus on academic improvement and performance. However, what they don’t realize is that cutting physical education will affect how they do in school. When you have physical education in schools, children are more active and more likely to be at a healthy weight. The chances of them performing well on a standardized test are very high.
Many schools are starting to cut and reduce their physical education programs due to budget cuts, combined with a greater focus on academic performance. However, weight problems lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint problems, asthma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and diabetes. Children who are obese also miss as much as four times as much school as kids who are at a healthy weight. Children who are overweight are also more likely to have back problems, negative body image, and about 94 percent of obese kids have a sleep issue. A lot of these problems are very likely to effect children’s ability do to well in school, which is why these are issue that the school needs to address, not just parents.
The U.S. Department of Health an Human Services recommends that children should have at least 150 minutes of physical activity in elementary schools every week. They recommend that middle level and high school students should have at least 225 minutes. Bryan McCullick is a professor at the University of Georgia. Bryan did a study to examine all of the 50 states and concluded how many states actually require 150 and 225 minutes of physical activity a week in their schools. Bryan found out that only six out of the fifty states had their elementary schools follow the recommended guidelines. Only two out of the fifty states followed the guidelines in middle level. At the high school level, there was not one state that had enough physical activity to be at the recommended guidelines. After his study Bryan stated, “Physically active kids are more likely to succeed in school. It makes sense to have kids who are physically educated. The chances of them performing on standardized tests are probably higher.”
After all of the research, schools should have increased physical activity time. This is because it helps encourage kids to be active. When you’re active and at a healthy weight, you are able to do better in school. This is because you are able to concentrate. So schools do need physical activity to be increased.
