How Has the Importance/Requirements of PE in Elementary and Middle School Shifted Over the Last 30 Years?

Times are changing. The world is moving fast. Technology is constantly advancing and the economy is always in flux. Schools and education have to keep up with the changing times, whether it’s new lesson plans, new curriculum, or new textbooks.

Despite what you might think, the changing times affect every aspect of education; that includes physical education programs. It’s easy to see some of PE’s more superficial changes. Schools tend to incorporate equipment bought in at least the last decade.

However, the more important changes deal with the physical education curriculum as well as the attitude surrounding the importance of physical education in school.

Going by the Plans

Physical education lesson plans have seen a large change over the past few decades. Originally, most curricula stressed reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease that might start in childhood.

This eventually expanded. The curriculum is now designed to stress living an active life while also incorporating necessary social skills. The emphasis has shifted more to fitness; reduced risk of cardiovascular disease would be a result.

Stressing Health

There’s no denying how important health is, especially in this day and age. Amongst the youth, about one in three kids is overweight. Given the ongoing trends, about a third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives.

Being overweight at such a young age puts kids at risk for a wide variety of health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer. That’s not to mention the psychological and emotional risks. Overweight and obese kids tend to suffer from low self-esteem and low self-confidence.

But What About Physical Education?

As important as health—more specifically, children’s health—is, there seems to be a distinct lack of interest in supporting physical education programs. In fact, most all education programs seem to suffer from criticism and intense scrutiny. As important as teachers are, they remain far underpaid and underappreciated.

In the past, high school required four years of physical education class. This has diminished to just two or less years. This is trickling down to middle and elementary school programs. Despite the current trends of childhood obesity and overall sedentary lifestyles, not many people seem to perceive physical education as a critical solution.

It might be this sort of backwards thinking that has led to our current problems. However, there’s an educational revolution afoot. Hopefully, in the years leading to the end of this decade, we can see some necessary changes that support education to improve student learning and, by association, improve health.