PE should be Mandatory

1340 Words6 Pages
A Waste of Time or a Real Health Benefit? At age 12, most children start their Monday mornings off the same way. It starts by getting up and dressed while trying to think of any possible reason to stay home and far away from school. But as we all know, the plans somehow do not work out and school becomes reality. Classes begin on time like they do every other day, and for the next few hours all that is looked forward to is the hour lunch and recess that seems so far away. What would students think if there was no recess or even physical education class to look forward to? What if students were forced to stay indoors and confined to a desk until school let out for the day? As the famous saying goes, people do not realize what they have until it is gone. School districts in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, New Jersey, and Connecticut are opting to eliminate recess and physical education classes because of “increased pressures to show improved academic gains when compared to schools around the globe” (Johnson). For some students, Physical Education class is a time to engage in sports and games, as well as learn more about subjects such as drugs/alcohol, eating disorders, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles. For other students, P.E. is a pure waste of time. Children feel their times could be better spent studying, doing class work, or just simply nothing at all. With obesity rates rising in children, physical activity is needed in young adult’s lives. Because many children do not partake in any type of physical activity at all, Physical Education classes should be a mandatory part of a school’s curriculum. College admittance requirements are continually increasing, which in effect is putting more and more pressure on high school students to do well in their classes and strive to be the best in their grade. Some students not only put pressure on themselves, but parents
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