lara mentorship

For this blog entry I will be discussing how I believe physical education should not be mandatory for all high school students. I don't think physical education should be mandatory because physical education should be something people chose to do, as opposed to it being forced upon someone. Though some people need that extra push to get active, they should be doing it because they wish to not because someone is forcing them to. Furthermore, I do not think it is fair for students to be marked in a class like physical education. Physical education has to do with personal goals and making yourself better with each physical activity you do, which is something that can’t be truly and accurately depicted through a percentage mark on a report card. I also don't think students should be marked and criticized on something like this because not everybody is in the same shape. As humans, we physically excel and push our limits in different ways based on our different and unique bodies. Some people may also have insecurities with their bodies and how they chose to be active. Not all students have the same physical abilities as each other, which is why they cannot all be marked for physical activity under the one same curriculum. If the student is not athletically inclined, they will feel ashamed and will have no motivation to participate with the class. Getting a bad mark in the class due to personal fitness can really put a dent in some people's confidence and they can become very insecure about themselves. Another thing is that once you reach grade 11 and 12, getting an extra course is pretty hard. Grade 11 and 12 is when we get to chose a variety of our classes because we are preparing for university. If physical education were to be mandatory, that is one class space we are eliminating, just in order to take physical education which will not necessarily benefit our future’s academically. Students should have the freedom of choosing which classes they wish to take part in. Physical education is not the only source of exercise a student will have. There are many other interactive ways to stay healthy outside of school, such as eating right, playing sports, and investing in gym memberships if they wish to do so. Another point is that if all students must participate in physical education, there is more risk of injury put upon these students. Sports, fitness and all physical activity can lead to injury. A study called the “Canadian Community Health Survey” found that only 8 percent of kids and teenagers are obese and 18 percent are overweight. Unlike several other countries, that is actually a very small percentage. This means that there isn’t a real, serious need for mandatory physical education. The other 18 percent may chose not to be active or it could just be a health issue. Everyone should have control over what they do with their bodies, in my personal opinion. Miss. DiTullio and I both agree that academics should be the student's priority at school and that there are many other ways for students to keep active outside of school.