The roundtable about physical education in schools caused a lot of controversy in the class. I believe this is because the subject involves the role of the government in personal lives. It is fair to assume that most people believe the government can control certain aspects of our lives, but eating and workout habits are very personal. Some argue that obesity puts a strain on the government so they have the right to control it, while others believe that people should be responsible for their own health.
In schools, it is hard to say how physical education should be governmentally controlled. Even adding time to PE classes usually just means more time sitting around in gym class. In order for kids to get a good workout they must continue to be active. The problem then becomes how to regulate the actual activity of the kids during gym class. Although exercise in school is hard to control, eating habits are not. Schools have started to (and should continue to) increase the amount of healthy food in cafeterias. Promotion of healthier foods in schools will definitely help kids become healthier.
The discussion ties into the American value system that we have been discussing in ID. Things that used to be taught at home are now expected to be taught in school. Although schools should require exercise and promote healthy eating habits, I believe it is ultimately the parents’ job to educate their children on health issues.
-Whitney Kamin
1 comment:
I definitely agree that it can be hard for people (especially children) to regulate healthy eating habits on a regular basis, so it makes sense for cafeterias to try to offer a wealth of good eating options that will both keep kids healthy and get them accustomed to a proper diet for when they are not at school. Tying with the latter part, one important element of physical education at schools is how it teaches children to constantly be active, which will become a subconscious part of their thinking when they are outside of gym class. Many people realize or develop their own strong abilities at a sport when they are in gym class at a young age, as it tends to offer a variety of options throughout the year, and that translates directly into a person staying active as they grow older, all because they began back in lower or middle school. Psychologically speaking, the phrase “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” applies, as they younger a person is, the more receptive they are to teachings about life, so it is very important for kids in school to be able to embrace an atmosphere relating to proper fitness and diet.
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