Keeping phys-ed in classrooms
Kids who form early habits can see them last a lifetime
Like math class, physical education is a problem solver.
In an age of childhood obesity, committing serious school time to physical activity seems to be a no-brainer.
All provinces and territories have P.E. curriculums, but they are vastly different, said Allana LeBlanc, physical activity expert with ParticipACTION, a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping Canadians get and stay active.
“Only Manitoba requires a P.E. credit every year in high school,” she said.
“We don’t have a lot of in-school monitoring, so even if P.E. class is scheduled daily, it’s hard to know if it’s being implemented effectively.”
LeBlanc also noted that there was a 57-per-cent increase (from 20062011) of school administrators reporting their school had a fully implemented P.E. policy.
In Ontario, 45 per cent of elementary schools have P.E. specialists, while all elementary schools in New Brunswick have them on staff.
“P.E. class is important in high school because it’s among adolescents that we see the largest drop in overall physical activity levels,” Leblanc said.
For example, according to ParticipACTION,15 per cent of 5- to11-yearolds in Canada are meeting guide- lines of at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, but only 5 per cent of 12- to 17year-olds are meeting those guidelines.
“Activity habits also tend to track through to adulthood, so active teens are generally more active adults. The high school years are a key time to encourage regular physical activity.”
If parents feel students aren’t getting enough P.E. in school, what can they do?
Parents can encourage their children to join sports teams and clubs, LeBlanc said. “Parents can also remember that they are their kids’ most important role model and engage in physical activity themselves,” LeBlanc added.
“Only15 per cent of adults are meeting Canadian physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.”