Healthy Debate

So the Ontario government wants to make Physical Education mandatory until Grade 12. Let's not beat about the bush...here are a half a dozen reasons why this is a stupid idea:


1. Gym facilities in Ontario schools cannot accommodate every single enrolled student. Because phys. ed. has been, for most students, a drop-as-soon-as-possible course, tracks and pools and sports arenas have been constructed as needed and no more. To build adequate facilities to give every student in Ontario a PROPER (note the capitalization) exercise regimen would cost a great deal of money that I, frankly, do not want my taxes being wasted on.

2. We've already cut high school down to four years. That's barely enough time to complete required courses for any major university program (doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc.). If a largely unnecessary course became mandatory, any student who wanted to get a good university admission without completely burning out would probably have to take a fifth year, again costing the taxpayer more money. ADDENDUM: Universities tend to look down on people who take extra years of high school and/or have phys. ed. on their transcript (the stereotype is, of course, that they must not be that bright). Ontario students are therefore being handicapped in the race for admissions.

3. If you want to improve children's health, a standardized one-size-fits-all school program is possibly the worst way. Affordable, accessible, and above all ENJOYABLE after-school sports programs are a much better option. Forcing everyone to play basketball, even those who hate or aren't good at basketball, is beyond pointless. Allowing each child to choose a sport and/or activity that they're actually interested in...hmm, maybe they'd put more effort into that? Am I mistaken?

4. We are no longer allowed to fail students in public education. That's right, even if you're dumb, we don't want you to feel bad about it so we won't make you look foolish by being the only 15-year-old in grade seven. I'm not saying whether this is a bad thing or a good thing...but it should at least be consistent. I was an overweight, nonathletic high school student. If we can't embarrass the dumb kids, why must we force the fat kids to wear embarrassingly tight track shorts and jiggle sweatily around a track for forty minutes a day?

5. There's a reason that the antagonists in pretty much all high school movies are the gym teachers/coaches. I'm not saying they're all evil...but the 99% that are give the other 1% a bad name.

6. Phys. Ed. classes do not make you healthy, especially required ones. Everyone I know (myself included) who has lost a significant amount of weight has done so on a self-motivated basis. If you really want to get healthy, you will go out and do it yourself. Even military enrolment is voluntary. Good health cannot be forced.


Obviously I'm against this on a personal level because...well, because I hate phys. ed. But I think I've made some pretty reasonable arguments here. If you're the political type, and this actually does come on the table, please ask your MPP to at least think it through. Health is important, no question. Obesity and heart disease are serious problems in our society, no argument here. But there's a difference between ANY solution and the RIGHT solution. Mandatory gym classes may be the former, but they are most definitely not the latter.