Educational Reform Essay

The educational institutes today are more focused on academics & pay less attention to the physical attributes of the students. Physical educators along with academic teachers play an important part in promoting good health through regular physical activities. The number of obese children is increasing around the world. Research depicts that one in every ten; six years old child in England is obese. It is estimated that by the year 2020, 50% of the children would be obese. (BBC. co, 2004,) Lack of physical activity is said to be a cause for lowers academic achievements as well as overweight & obese individuals. The reason being, when the fundamental dietary & fitness needs are not met, the students show a decline in academics by giving a poor performance. A study in New York asserted that students’ intelligence & academic performance was affected by the slightest of malnutrition signs. Schools play a major role in developing the young minds & grooming them for a bright future, it must be kept in mind that physical education too is an imperative aspect of an individual’s life. Along with the P. E. courses the students should be advised about a proper diet intake. Children with poor nutritional habits, especially in the early years usually score low in vocabulary, reading & calculation. (Athletics Campus Life, 2007) It is calculated that 40% of American population is inactive & only 20% are slightly active. Mostly 50% of individuals drop out of exercise programs without even completing six months. The fact is that habits are developed at an early age. If the students are not facilitated with physical exercise courses at school, they will never form healthy workout habits. The schools these days are struggling to increase the student success rates, the children are over burdened with homework & extra classes, leaving no time for extracurricular activities. The Buffalo City School District in New York has decided to incorporate a physical education department starting from the very initial stage; the aim is to achieve better student grades, attendance & improved health. The students’ nutrition, active lifestyle & accomplishments are all interrelated. If the child is happy & healthy, he will perform well in every step he takes. Reducing 240 minutes per week in class time in favor of physical activity resulted in higher math scores. (Action for Healthy Kids, 2004) Students with the highest fitness scores scored the highest in their SAT exam. Being physically active also fortifies the student’s cognitive learning abilities & lowers anxiety & depression levels. It is derived from extensive research that the intake of oxygen during exercise benefits the neurons & increases the mind power. Overweight children are susceptible to develop physical ailments like blood pressure & diabetes in later life, not to mention the psychological effects by being teased in school causing a reclusive feeling, low self esteem & presently depression. The Cambridge Public Schools, in Massachusetts, discovered that almost 14% of children from the age group 9-13 were overweight due to sedentary routines. These students were being targeted for jokes & bullying. In order to facilitate the energy of hyperactive & sedentary students, at the same time improving their physical & social wellbeing; increased the activity programs at school targeting every student’s individual needs. This act may produce desirable results in the meantime confronting issues like obesity & bullying. But focus should be kept on the physical wellbeing of students; therefore it’s a better option to minimize competing activities. Sports & recreational competitions are a good way to realize one’s potential but may induce negative feelings in the losing opponent. Every school attempts to reach the highest target of excellence; this goals should set concern for the physical & mental growth of the students thus, expanding time for the physical & extracurricular activities for the children to indulge in. summer & winter breaks can also be utilized for such programs. Participating in such activities help the children to discover their strengths & uniqueness creating a feeling of achievement. They realize their interests & then design their future goals accordingly. A number of funds are use for the betterment of academic departments in schools. Some steps should be taken for designing the physical education department in order to achieve a positive impact on the confidence, self esteem & motivation of all the students. Each student should be dealt separately, so as to meet individual demands & improve their over all personality. A policy taken up by the Michigan State Board of Education Policy in September 2003 on Quality Physical Education confirms that well planned physical activities play a pivotal role in the student learning capabilities. They learn to incorporate their skills & abilities to the fullest in every field. They started a 150 minutes/week program for the elementary students & 225 minutes/week. (Michigan State- Resource Guide) Some of the ideas that can be incorporated for the betterment of students overall capabilities are:†¢ All students should be entitled to join the physical activity groups. Each age group should be handled separately so they can enhance their confidence, identify their personal. The physical education curriculum should be based on a rationally researched content. The proper equipment & tools should be provided by the school & a professional trainer should be hired to train the students. The individual strengths & abilities of students should be catered. Tests should be conducted to find out their endurance levels & body strengths & then target the problem areas for achieving a healthy & active student body. †¢ Athletics are very effective in the over all growth of children.  Basic levels of athletics should be coached to every student & advance courses available to those who are interested. †¢ The P. E. group can hold study groups & workshops to help the students with their weakness & provide them with proper nutritional guides. Several activities can be introduces involving interaction with friends & families of the students. For example few schools arrange sport days, running tracks & family fitness nights. After school activities can play a major role in inducing physical fitness in the students. The points to keep in mind are that †¢ the activities are convenient for the students †¢ the program contains enough intensity to make it challenging †¢ Variety of programs should be introduced so that the children are keen to partake in them. †¢ The weather conditions should be kept in mind & indoor gyms & recreational rooms should be set up in case of a rainy day. †¢ The parents & teachers should be encouraged to get involved with the students so they can help the children to live up to the best of their abilities.