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BY PAM LOBLEY
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
NOW THAT'S FUNNY
Governor Christie has announced that he wants to give schools more flexibility in their scheduling by lessening the Physical Education Requirements.
He made the announcement just outside of a drive-through window at McDonald's.
I guess this is his way of cutting the fat out of the budget.
If the kids need more exercise, maybe they should just take a couple of laps around Chris Christie.
OK, OK. I'm done. For now.
I agree with the idea of giving superintendents more flexibility. The students have so many curriculum requirements to fulfill that their days are packed. The schools are completely hamstrung by mandates and dwindling budgets. They should have more power to make the decisions that are best for their communities.Having said that ... gosh darn it, we're fat! When are we going to stop being so fat? We know we're fat, and we feel bad about being fat, but we stay fat! How is that going to change?
Currently, the PE requirement is 2.5 hours a week for all grades, 1-12. The National Association for Health and Fitness recommends that kids get AT LEAST 60 minutes of physical activity a day, every day. So, if your child has ½ hour of recess a day, and ½ hour of PE each day, they're covered, unless it's the weekend.
Except ... well ... the PE requirement also covers health class. So instead of having actual physical activity during that time, they may be sitting still and reading a brochure about not doing drugs, or the importance of hygiene. Also, there is no guarantee your child is actually PLAYING during recess. Recess is free time. Your daughter could be sitting there braiding her friend's hair. Your son could be kicking a stone and daydreaming.
Just because they're outside doesn't mean they're running around getting their heart rate up and building muscle tone. Furthermore, in the very cold weather, they don't even go outside. At our grade school, they stay inside in the gym and because it is so crowded they are actually FORBIDDEN to run around.
The National Association for Health and Fitness has also said that extended periods of inactivity – two hours or more – are discouraged for children. Well, if they have Math, followed by Spanish, then Computers, then Reading ... that's sounds like more than two hours of sitting. But it's SCHOOL. There has to be sitting. They're learning. Maybe we should just get treadmills installed in all the schools so the kids can jog while they learn grammar. Then they can turn into a bunch of stressed out multi-taskers like their parents!
It's not the school's job to keep your child thin. Believe me, I wish they could give the kids an hour of gym each day, but they can't. There is not enough time in the day to give your kids all the exercise they need while teaching them the academics they should be getting. Do you, Adult Reader, get an hour of physical exercise a day? Every day? Of course you don't. You're way too busy. And so are our kids. Their school days are filled. They have tons of homework. If they don't play organized sports (my kids don't) then how do they get exercise? It's up to you.
It's ironic that the fattest governor we've had in a long time is recommending cutting back on gym class. Maybe his point is that your child's weight is your responsibility, and we can't just keep burdening the schools with jobs that families should be doing.
Or maybe he just doesn't want to have to wear gym shorts at any photo ops.
OK. Now I'm done.
Pam Lobley writes the "Now That's Funny" column. Her book, "You Definitely Know You're a Mom When ..." makes a great Mother's Day gift!
