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Is Physical Education Really Necessary?
Words Bevery Pokuah
Physical education has been both one of the most dreaded and most loved subjects of all time, from the infamous bleep test to the fake sick notes to the overly competitive rounders matches, but the question is, is physical education really necessary?
In recent years many schools have cut back on their PE classes and have placed a greater emphasis on academics such as Maths, English, Science as they strive to prepare students for either exams, secondary school or university. The drivers of this change are easily identified as the need to measure a school’s success is defined simply in terms of data and percentage of grades achieved across a very narrow band of subjects, this is a very limited way to measure the value of what should be, an inspiring process of learning, understanding and empowerment.
Physical education is arguably one of the most important subjects on the curriculum recent research has shown that active students are happier and more confident to try sport than inactive students and it’s no secret that appropriate physical activity is necessary to a student’s overall wellbeing, the benefits of physical education in schools are far reaching, including both increased student physical health and better academic performance, PE is more than running and kicking a ball, it motivates students to expand their skills, as grasping the fundamentals of one sport makes it easier to master the rule of another since students spend a considerable amount of time in school, it’s an ideal setting to empower them, social skills are also developed being a part of a team gives students a sense of identity helps them become team players, working alongside a diverse range of team mates and be able to support others, being able to understand a range of sports allows them to be part of something bigger than their classrooms, which leads to passions and hobbies being birthed igniting a new found love all of which stemming from this simple foundation, PE. The obesity crisis continues to sky rocket in the UK and across the globe and more people are taking on sedentary lifestyles hence it’s essential to promote a positive mindset about exercise from an early age will help to keep kids healthy as they get older.
P.E. is a compulsory subject in primary schools and secondary schools but as academics get more complex in college for example or university physical education is nowhere to be found it’s almost as if everyone is just left to their own devices to figure it out on their own, because some schools may believe they’ve created a strong enough foundation that should go on a lifetime but what if that isn’t the case, it’s fair to say that as students get older physical education may evolve from being just a sport or exercise played for three hours a week into a lifestyle but are universities and colleges doing enough to promote said lifestyle such as offering mindfulness sessions, study breaks, free or subsided gym memberships and guidance on how to move your body even if it’s for ten minutes.
It’s not a question of whether or not PE is important it’s about what more can schools offer such as adding new sports to the curriculum that the will challenge students not just physically but mentally a student that is overachieving in PE and not doing so well in subjects that are considered more important isn’t struggling academically it’s just that there is qualities and strengths that said student is utilising in PE that needs to be translated back into other subjects but do teachers have the patience to nurture these qualities and in turn see the best in students. Another important factor is the type teachers teaching the subject who are they, do they have the ability to inspire future generations whether that be a PE Teacher for a year two class or year eleven class, because a PE teacher is not only a teacher but a life coach where a simple piece of advice on a netball pitch can change the trajectory of a teenage girl struggling with self-esteem issues for life.