For many years here in America, children attending schools could be viewed playing on the school playgrounds in some type of activity that required physical strength. These activities were enjoyed by most of these children. There were swings, sliding boards, teeter totters, jungle gyms, merry-go-rounds, and fields for ball sports. In fact, even during after school hours, it was not uncommon to see these areas filled with children. Today, this has drastically changed. There is seldom the view of children playing on the school grounds, coupled with some schools not having the play areas available for the children.
Because of this, along with poor diets, our children have been subjected to childhood obesity. As a result, the education system here in America has been one of the primary reasons for this epidemic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity (overweight children) has made its place in our children’s lives because of changes in both the home lifestyle and our education system. As a child, when attending public school, most children walked to and from schools in their neighborhood. The rule for busing children to school was based on the distance to and from school; this was determined by mileage, which was two or more miles in distance.
Because every child who attended school lived within that distance, walking was the norm and a form of exercise which encouraged a healthy lifestyle. With the changing of the laws with school busing, many children today ride the bus and some children who even live less than a mile away from school. Similarly, the activities that children were engaged in were outside of the home. Children were engaged in physical activities such as jump rope, racing, kick ball, basketball, flag football, volley ball and even stick ball, a game that is played with 2 bases, a stick and a tennis ball.
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School activities are very important for the students and for the school. For the students, because they gain new skills and motivation. It’s a real chance for them to enjoy school and choose to do something they are really interested and passionate about, and therefore their motivation for learning and their motivation for their teachers and the school increase. It makes them relate ...
Never-the-less, outdoor activities were the games played the most. As time has moved on and technology taking its place, indoor games have changed the way children play. Now children have games that are played on the inside of the home such as video games, computer games, and cable TV. With this change, physically active playing has changed and made our children less active. This has not only affected the home life, but these same changes are now in our education system as well.
Children are now engaging more in computer labs or academic activities instead of physical education because the education system here in America has decreased the physical education criteria. This has led to the major problem we face today of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has made a negative impact on the health of our children today. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than one third of children and adolescent were obese in 2008. Attributing to poor health and later contributing to diseases that could have been otherwise avoided.
Physical education is a contributing factor to the health and welfare of students in public schools of America. Studies have shown that children, youth and adolescent, who participate in regular physical activity have more strength and endurance, healthy bones and muscles, less stress and anxiety, high self-esteem, and above all, controlled weight (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services).
For many years, the Education System of America adopted requirements of physical education that were included in their academic programs. Children in grades 1 through 12 were to receive at least one hour of physical activity daily.
This contributed to the well-being of students in the public school systems, but in the last thirty years, we have seen an astronomical increase in childhood obesity in these same schools. What occurred in our school systems that would make such a dramatic change in our children’s health? A portion of the answer lies in the changes that were made to the physical education programs offered to students here in America. Many schools have elected to cut down on physical education (PE) in favor of increasing academic skills due to budget cuts.
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EDUCATION IN TURKEY Education is the act or process of providing knowledge skills or competence by a formal course of instruction or training. Through out history societies have sought to educate their people to produce goods and services, to respond effectively and creatively to their world, and to satisfy their curiosity and aesthetic impulses. To achieve reliable knowledge and to think ...
There has also been the need to make sure that students have met the criteria of each states requirement for graduation as well. With the development of new technology, computers, and the pressure to improve academic skills, many state school systems elected to decrease physical education in the curriculum. Consequently, “The Center for Disease Control reported that PE (Physical Education) classes have nearly disappeared in the United States” (Brown, P. , Sutterby, J. , Thornton, C. , 2011).
Even though the education system understood the benefits ofphysical activity, it appeared to neglect the benefits of physical education. These changes in our education system have contributed to the unhealthy problems children face today. Because the education system is governed by the state, the requirements of physical education varies from state to state, none the less, the increase in childhood obesity affects the entire nation. When physical education was first included into the public high school system in the state of Missouri education curriculum, students were introduced to a different variety of exercises that were divided into units.
For boys it was a ball unit; baseball, football, basketball, and field hockey; track and field unit, and gymnastics. For girls it was a dance unit; ballet, modern, or country and western; a ball unit; softball, volleyball, basketball, and field hockey, track and field unit; and gymnastics. These physical activities were requirements of graduation. Each student engaged in 4 years of physical education with the choices listed. The graduation requirement was one ball unit, one dance unit, for girls, track and field and gymnastics.
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... Physical Activity in the Elementary School Setting 1 Physical education in the elementary school system is an essential curriculum for the development of all children. Early physical education classes provide children ... out of school setting. Out of school physical activity increases exercise time which will in turn lead to a healthier child. 2 Physical education for children is also ...
These requirements kept the student physical fit and not just in the physical sense. These activities also increased students’ academic performances as well. During this time, there were very few obese children in the public school system of America, but today, since physical education is no longer seen as a priority, the requirements in the public high school system has dropped from being a 4 year requirement to just a 1 year requirement. Because of this, “since 1980, the percent of overweight children has double and tripled in adolescents” (Wechsler, H. , McKenna, M. , Lee, S. , Dietz, W. , 2004).
Can we afford to continue to subject our children to these dangers knowing the impact on their health? Inadequacies in our physical education system in public schools has negatively impact our students attending our public schools when it comes to obesity. They have been subjected to health risks, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which can later lead to strokes and heart attacks in their adulthood. Committing to improving physical activities in our youth has been beneficial in the past when physical education programs were a major part of public school systems, just aseating healthy. Of the fifty states here in America, “only five states (Illinois, Iowa, and Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Vermont) required physical education in every grade level” (PR Newswire, 2010).
This number shows that the public school system in America have not recognized the importance of physical education in the school curriculum. In addition, “forty-three percent of states allow required physical education credits to be earned online” (PR Newswire, 2010).
This is too subjective. What type of physical activity can be done online and how can it be graded?
How much actual physical activity does it allow the child to engage in? Since children, who attend public schools in America, spend 8 hours a day in school environment 5 days a week, it would only make sense to incorporate a physical activity program into their routine. This ensures the physical need of the body would be met. Although, many feel that the health and welfare of the student is ultimately up to the parent, who can partner with the school system on meeting their child’s needs, the education system plays a vital role as well.
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Today the American education system is no longer the best in the world. With declining test scores and poor academic achievement, people have questioned whether our current educational system is working for us? On the other side of the Pacific, the situation is totally different. Students of Asian countries achieve higher academic achievements, and they rank at the top on math and science tests. ...
Most children who have had adequate exercise are calmer because the exercise has allowed them to release otherwise anxieties they may be dealing with. In addition, physical activities have helped children to deal with emotional issues, which is a part of their development. Furthermore, exercise has been known to contribute to restful sleep, improve muscle strength, and lead to the child participating on a sports team. The child can learn to form a healthy lifestyle when physical activity has been incorporated. It is a known fact that any type of physical activity can promote a good all-around feeling.
When the child feels good there can be better cooperation from the child. The education system has been a primary force in the past promoting physical education and should be today as well. With the rise of childhood obesity, the need for increased physical education in the school systems has shown positive results when implemented. All together, “health, physical educators, wellness specialist, and parents play a vital role in reducing obesity rates in children and adolescents” in this country (Green, G. , Riley, C. , Hargrove, B. , 2012).
The need for quality physical education programs in our public school will contribute to quality health for our children. In conclusion, physical education must make its rise again into our public school system in order for us to combat the unhealthiness that has prevailed within our children. Good eating habits of fruits and vegetables with smaller portions will enhance the quality of our children’s health, but more important, physical activities incorporated back into the school system that our children will engage in can help to combat the obesity epidemic we face today.
