Dive Brief:
- A Tennessee House education subcommittee has approved a new bill that would require students in grades K-5 to participate in physical education classes at least twice a week.
- The bill is an addition to the current requirement that mandates district students take part in 90 minutes of physical activity each week.
- Opponents of the bill are questioning whether there will be enough resources or time in the day to accommodate the requirement.
Dive Insight:
Let's start with the first argument coming from detractors: resources. While a well-funded PE class is awesome, at the end of the day, all you need is space (such as a gym or indoor room for schools in cold states) where students can move around and be active. Childhood obesity is a very real issue in America and using funding or resources as an excuse to not get kids moving falls short. In terms of time, there is always time. Class time is wasted when kids have extra energy to expend and get distracted or act out. PE time will most likely make actual classtime run smoother and save time in the long run. Then of course there is the question of priorities. Why do we get behind certain subjects and not others? Teaching students how to be healthy individuals is just as beneficial for future life outcomes as any other course offering.