RETHINKING PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Editor-in-Chief of The Physician and Sports Medicine, Gordon Matheson, editorialized on the current status of physical education (PE) in elementary and secondary schools.
According to the CDC, only half of US schools require PE in elementary schools and only 5% by grade 12. Dr. Matheson urges health professionals to:

• Emphasize to school boards and legislatures the vital role of PE through the 12th grade for Americans' health.
• Press for school PE that promotes lifetime fitness.
• Encourage high qualifications for PE K-12 teachers. According to the National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education the standards that many schools now accept for PE teachers have declined.
• Support federal and state legislation like the PEP (Physical Education for Progress) bill, which was passed earlier this year and provides $70 million in 2001-and possibly $400 million over five years-to improve K-12 PE in the US.

Finally, there is the crucial role of PE in higher education. Long before we were aware of the powerful health benefits of exercise, PE departments in colleges and universities were common. Their curricula covered the full range of physical activities, including those related to competitive sport. These departments, from which K-12 programs were modeled, have either declined in number or changed their missions substantially.
Sports leagues that borrow from the adult, professional, and competitive models are not
the ideal venue for teaching children about physical activity and health. The PE field needs to be
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restored to its time-honored role of fostering physical activity and health. Yes, PE schools need to focus on training good PE teachers-but they are also in a unique position to apply important health information.
(Matheson G. The Physician and Sportsmedicine 2001; 29(11):2)

COMMENT: Texas has just passed a law that permits the State Board to require 30 minutes of physical activity daily at the elementary level. ¦¡ R.A.