Well, should it.
It's easy to say yes it should because of exercise or trying to lower obesity rates, but let's look at the other side of the argument
I think it shouldn't be, and i have my well thought out reasons.
Firstly, There are plenty of more effective ways of ensuring a healthy population than pushing
children round a freezing sports pitch once a week.
Secondly, Sport is a waste of school time and resources. One or two PE lessons a week make very little difference to an individual’s health – but a huge difference to a school’s budget. It creates a whole extra department in schools, wasting a great deal of money and time that could be better spent on academic lessons. It also requires schools buildings to be surrounded by a large amount of land for playing fields, making it prohibitively expensive to build new schools in urban areas. The quality of teaching is low, as students are taught in huge classes. On the other hand, the quality of teaching and of equipment goes up if there are fewer (but keener) students taking the subject. Frankly, given the average current pupil-teacher ration, the subject is not merely without positive purpose – it may be dangerous to students who are normally not properly supervised.
People say p.e is a chance to discover hidden gifts in students Students can ‘discover’ these gifts outside of school, without ‘discovering’ the bullying that comes with PE more than with any other lesson. They are more likely to obtain specialist coaching at sports clubs. Furthermore, for every child that ‘discovers a gift,’ there are many that suffer. PE is unique, in that ‘failure’ in its lessons involves physical humiliation. This is bad for children and especially bad for adolescents, who have more than enough body issues without this.
Others say it is important for character building, Many say the same benefits derive from the common endurance of prison… In particular, injuries sustained through school sport and the psychological trauma of being bullied for sporting ineptitude can mark people for years after they have left school. Teamwork can be better developed through music, drama, community projects, etc. without the need to encourage an ultra-competitive ethos.
And finally, I've mentioned it briefly throughout this opuss, but bullying is my main reason for it not being compulsory, I haven't done P.E in months, because I hate the verbal abuse that comes with it, I have bad legs, they don't work very well, I can't run without a support and these things harbour bullying, not just from students in my classes, but from un-informed supply teachers who don't understand my situation.
Yes I believe having health work in schools is important, but it can be done in other ways, through sit down classes and through the occasional fun session.
I Don't believe P.E should be removed entirely, just shifted to allow kids like me not to have to do it, not because I'm lazy, or I don't like sports, because I do, I used to play netball and only recently had to quit cycling, climbing and swimming due to health complications.
Its sad that P.E lessons, that are there to encourage, have put me off sport completely.
Sorry this was a long one, and hope you like my points. Any questions just comment and I'll answer them :)
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