Physical Education will be Left Behind: How No Child Left Behind is Effecting Physical Education ProgramsToday there is a great deal of emphasis on "the basics" such as reading, writing and math. Schools are very concerned students are not academically prepared for high school and college. In January 2007, the Secretary of Education released the Administration's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization proposal , Building on Results: A Blueprint for Strengthening the No Child Left Behind Act. The law is historic, but work is underway to further implement NCLB. This blueprint is designed to provide additional tools for schools and educators so students are able to read and do math at their specific grade level by 2014. Unfortunately, the process of trying to improve student's academic skills means physical education has been left behind. "The underfunding of No Child Left Behind has forced many schools to cut gym classes and prop up Coke machines in their hallways," said Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). Studies show that physical activity can have a positive impact in preventing and decreasing obesity. Even so, children may be missing out on participating in physical activity. Many schools have decreased or even cut physical education in schools. At the same time schools are trying to find their way through the complicated mandates of the legislation, all other administrative work still must be done. This results in there being little time left for other important subjects. Physical education is one of those. In addition, it might be surprising to some, but physical education teachers do not have to be highly-qualified to teach the subject. As a result, what little time is spent on physical education is often left in the hands of those who are, at times, clearly unqualified. What can be done? Some would say we should try to get the NCLB to include physical education as one of the core subjects. That, we believe is highly unlikely to occur. We must find a way to go
directly to educators and parents
and make the statement that physical education is just as critical for our children as improving academic performance. In fact, physical activity prepares the brain for cognitive learning, which makes it essential in the quest for improving academic skills.
Physical activity
is at the very heart of the solution to the childhood obesity crises. And, if our children are not healthy, they simply cannot be good learners.
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