Should PE Classes be Mandatory?

[3Dani]

Physical Education is something that is required for every student at Harlan Community to take every single year in high school, but is it really necessary? The CDC explains that taking some sort of physically educating class provides cognitive content and helps develop motor skills. There are so many benefits to taking a PE class, but there are also a few disadvantages. For example, some students want to take more academic classes and have an academic waiver, excluding them from PE, so that they can take far more classes. But in order to get that academic waiver, a student cannot have any study halls throughout the school day.

 

Benefits to having a PE class include: increasing every student's level of physical activity, improving their overall focus abilities in classes, and enhancing their grades and even standardized test scores, all according to the CDC. Taking a physical education class does not affect a student’s academic achievement negatively in any way. On the other hand, students who do not want to partake in a PE class, who are in other sports, find it ridiculous that they don’t have the choice whether they want to take that class or not.

 

Personally I think that PE is a nice class to take when you have a busy schedule and need a break, but I don’t think it should be forced upon all students. It’s important for everyone to be somewhat physically active for their health, but enforcing that in schools and not allowing students to opt out, unless they choose to have absolutely no study halls, gets to be a little over the board crazy. I think a physical education class should be very highly recommended to everyone, but it should not be mandatory in schools.

 

Do you think PE should be mandatory?

Do you have an academic waiver?

Do you like PE?

 

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/physical-education.htm#:~:text=Physical%20education%20provides%20cognitive%20content,physical%20activity%20and%20physical%20fitness.&text=Supporting%20schools%20to%20establish%20physical,physically%20active%20for%20a%20lifetime. 

[3Dani]

I think it would be easier if given the choice to take a PE class or not, but like you said an academic waiver isn't hard to get.

[7Alex]

I think PE should be mandatory even though I dislike it. I do think on the other hand that it should be a choice on what you do and not just put you in a group and have a teacher decide what you do that day. Like I said before I strongly dislike PE.

[7Ella]

I do not think that PE should be mandatory based off the fact that many people are taking different classes. I understand that if you are not taking any difficult classes, but I believe that every student should at least have one study hall based off their classes and PE kind of interfers with this due to PE being mandatory.

[3Dani]

I agree, with a packed schedule I believe it is very beneficial to give students at least one study hall during the day, so that way they don't have to stress so much about not having the time to get it done.

[7Ava]

I don't think that PE should be mandatory because many people don't have time for study halls because of PE. They also can't have a study hall and a PE waiver. It makes it hard for people with a tight schedule. This year I had an academic waiver but next year I won'd because I have a study hall. I enjoy some PE but I would rather work on homework and get it done.

[3Dani]

I agree, I don't mind PE, but it would be so nice to have a study hall to work on the insane amount of homework I get on a daily basis.

[8Ava]

I do not mind having PE. But I think that students who are in after school activities such as sports should not have to take it and have a study hall instead. Due to the fact that they are already getting exercise. As well as getting home late from sports games or practices and having less time to do homework.

[3Dani]

I agree, they're still getting time to be physically active it's just not considered to be a part of the school day.

[3 Carson Reinig]

I definetly think that PE classes should be manditory because a lot of kids are obese or dont get enough exercise. PE teaches kids that would not now how to exercise how to live a healthier and more active lifestyle that will help them live a happier life in the future.

[3Dani]

I agree with what you're saying, and I thought the same thing until I realized that many kids who want to take more academic classes are also in after school sports. I think having PE highly recommended would still help kids better learn how to exercise properly.