There is a debate going around in schools, discussing whether or not students participating in sports should be required to take a physical education class. The common answer from students is no, but by law, in Iowa, it is required. In 2008, the Iowa Department of Education passed a law requiring students in a public school to enroll in a PE class for one semester a year. This was part of the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. The intent was to give students a healthier lifestyle and a more "rounded schedule." The idea was effective at first in showing a lowering number in obesity rates. However, over the past few years more and more students have been joining sports. This brings up the question, should student-athletes be required to take a PE class?
The biggest complaint from students is that they miss the opportunity to have a study hall or a class they want to take in place of PE. Many students class schedules are too full to have a study hall at all, which will mean that they have to spend more time outside of school studying. As a student-athlete myself, I had to stay up extra late to study for a test and do homework because I got home late. Many other students agree that they would have much rather done this in a study hall in school and have a chance to get sleep. Studies show that, especially for teenagers, getting good sleep at night is crucial to performance in school and sports. it gives them an opportunity to make up tests and catch up on all the work they miss for their sport. During their season, student-athletes tend to miss classes, especially those at the end of the day, for games or meets. With a study hall, it would be easier to catch up and stay on top of everything. And of course, there is always the risk of injury. While it is unlikely, there is always a possibility that someone gets hurt lifting or playing a game. This could end a student-athletes season.
Participating in school sports covers all of the important bases that physical education does. Exempting student-athletes from PE classes does not mean that those classes are not important, it just shows that there is no need for student-athletes to spend time doing things they already do and learning stuff they already know. I agree that students should be required to do some sort of physical activity, but it should be limited to those not participating in sports. Some students like the idea of being required to participate in a sport rather than a PE class. In the end, as long as students are getting some sort of "physical activity" during the school day, I think that both the government and students will be satisfied.
Do you think that student-athletes should have to take a PE class?
Do you think that it would be better to require students to participate in a sport rather than a PE class?
If you had the option as an athlete, would you still take a PE class?
Have you had to stay up extra late to do homework or study after a sporting event?
Replies
I think that if you're a student athlete you shouldn't be required to partake in a PE class because that can take place of a study hall, which can be beneficial to the amount of homework you are constantly behind on. I know when my sport is in season, I struggle to find time to get caught up on classes I frequently miss.
I agree that it is hard to keep up with homework while trying to do well in sports.
I think that if you are participating in one sport per semester then it shouldn't be required. That's an extra period where student-athletes could have a study hall so they wouldn't have to spend so much time outside of school working on homework. Although I don't think it would be better to require students to participate in a sport rather than a PE class. I think kids shouldn't have to go out for a sport if they don't want to.
I think that participating in a PE should keep being required instead of forcing all students to join a sport. Because then it would be unfair for the ones who want to do a sport in the first place, because in some sports there is a limit on how many can be on the team, and the more on a team the more people would have to sit on the bench and not participate anyways.
I think that student athletes should have to take a PE class. I think that if you are in any sports you would want to take a PE class just to get yourself more in shape to help you with your sports. I think that I definitely had have to stay up later to get homework done just because of the sporting event and it was really stressful.
I agree that it is stressful to try and keep up with school work.
I think if you are participating in at least one sport per semester you shouldn't have to take a PE class. You are getting your exercise and your training within that sport already. Depending on my schedule I would still try to take a lifting PE class, just because it is good for you.
I feel it shouldn’t be required for somebody that is in sports to have to take a P.E. class. However I think that they should have the option to take P.E. if they want to. I feel that it would be better to require kids to take P.E. and not require them to do a sport. I feel those kids really wouldn’t want to have to go out for a sport if they don’t want to.
I feel like if they had sports during both semesters no. But if it were me I would want a pe class if I didn't have a sport that semester; just to stay a bit conditioned. Pe isn't really all that physical depending on what class you take, but for people that have sports on top of a pe class, it can be a lot. Especially with the homework thing. If they could put a different class in pe's spot that would be beneficial to them such as a study hall so they don't have to stay up late doing homework that would be great.
I agree that a studyhall would be better.
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