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Ryland Miller
Professor Leslie Drake
Research Techniques and Technology
28 March 2016
Is physical education crucial in primary and secondary schools?
The purpose of my research is to prove whether or not physical education is crucial in
primary and secondary school. Many schools in the past fifteen years have cut some of or all of
the physical education in their school systems. Some oppose this standpoint, their thinking that
sacrificing time competing and staying active while in school is more important than some of the
classes that are stealing P.E.s time. While others believe that physical education is obsolete in
the school place and that there is time to be active when children and youth arent in school. This
proposes a hard answer question, is physical education beneficial in our school systems or is it
taking away time and money that could be spent on more important classes. This paper will
include research from other scholars on matters that consist of: how effective is PE in schools
currently, how the lack of physical education in schools affects the youth who are being
deprived, research on students who experienced PE through secondary school and their exercise
habits now, and many other intriguing topics that can help determine whether or not physical
education is crucial to the youth in schools today.
The definition of physical education is; Instruction in physical exercise and games,
especially in schools. Though this definition is rather straightforward, there is an important
aspect of the first half of this that can be looked at a little closer, Instruction in physical exercise
and games. This states that physical education is the literal instruction of PE. The significance
of the word instruction is that the purpose for anyone to instruct anything is to teach someone,

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something, so whoever is being taught has either lack of experience in this field, or needs
guidance on how to perform said tasks. Students arent able to learn algebraic equations on their
own, so why should they have to learn how to exercise and stay healthy on their own? Thats the
question people who see the need for physical education in our school systems are arguing.
Primary and secondary school consists of twelve years of schooling for children and
youth in America. The purpose of this schooling is to teach the core subjects which include;
history/social studies, science, reading and writing, and math. Though our common core does not
include physical education, almost all states require that each student participates in a small
amount of PE a day. This is already a minuscule amount, definitely when you consider that most
secondary schools only require one of your four years there to take it as a school credit, but some
states are trying to even abolish that. The argument behind this is that there is plenty of time
outside of school to take care of the need for physical exercise and that the time spent in school
can allow for more traditional education classes.
Physical education in schools dates back all the way to 1866 when California was the
first state to require an amount of time needed to be spent doing physical activity. During the
1920s there was a boom for physical education in schools systems, the biggest influence on the
rapid growth was because of the wars taking place. This surge of physical activity was
considered good by those advocating this cause, though the period around World War II changed
PE from games and activities to more conditioning and training. Once the war ended, PE was
very stagnant and was not growing or really benefitting the students because of a lack of a solid
model or framework of its class periods. In 1953, there was a study done that concluded that
children in Europe were more physically fit than Americans. This gave the U.S. a very big step
forward in attaining a sturdy physical education program in schools, and it stayed that way for

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nearly twenty years. Since the 1970s though, PE has seen a steady decline to this present day in
all American schools, to the point now where it is nonexistent in a large number of schools in the
nation.
Before the 1970s America was very stagnant when it came to obesity levels in children
and youth. Averaging around only five percent of all children in the U.S. was overweight or
obese for decades before this time. Since the mid-70s though, we have seen that an alarming
increase in this statistic. Between the ages of 6-11 we are looking at an average of fifteen percent
obesity rate, and ages 12-19 are at an average of twenty-one percent! That is over one in every
five teens who are overweight or downright obese. Once these young adults become legitimate
adults this weight is proven to not decrease, because the obesity rate in adults is nearly thirty-six
percent over the nation. This incredible number has yet to slow down too, according to this
pattern; by 2030 adult obesity could be over forty-four percent. These statistics are telling more
than that we just have a significant number of overweight Americans. It also shows that we will
see an increase in citizens with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and arthritis
because all of these chronic diseases can be traced to obesity as being one of the major causes for
patients diagnosis. Physical inactivity and poor diet contribute to 400,000 preventable deaths a
year; the only factor that leads to more deaths a year is tobacco (435,000). These traits like lack
of exercise and poor diet are something that is learned throughout ones childhood, and can be
easily avoidable with proper training and instruction.
Public schools are tools that allow children to obtain knowledge, and also wisdom. It is
the building blocks for youth to achieve great things before they leave home. These children are
the future of America and will eventually be a generation that will start new generations after it.
There is so much potential that public schools have to offer America because public schools have

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the ability to reach fifty million young people each year. Knowing that the U.S. is not on track
with the standards of physical activity for adults, and also for children and youth too, how can
America change these statistics? There is a large group of PE activists who believe that physical
education in schools can easily be the biggest impact on obesity in children and youth across the
nation. By having these students want to participate in a class where they learn how to eat right
and exercise, but also get in a daily regimen of physical activity seems like a no-brainer. These
schools have the ability to give American children the tools to learn how to keep them fit in a
nation that is continually growing in waist size. This not only pushes for healthier students from
a physical standpoint but emotionally and intellectually too. Studies have shown that when youth
are continually active throughout their week they are less stressed, calmer, and have a clearer
mind opposed to those who do not. Attention spans are easier to keep focused and this results in
better productivity in school and better grades on the report cards. These arguments for PE in
school are convincing, and the pros seem to weigh out the cons heavily, but schools are
continuing to drop PE from their daily schedules.
At the moment there are no federal requirements that force schools to have a required
amount of PE each day, this also doesnt enforce that they have any PE each day. When schools
have budget cuts that need to be met, theres a long list of people to fire, and classes to stop
providing, and for most schools physical education is towards the top of this list. Which when it
comes to the business side of this choice, nothing is wrong here, but when you look at the moral
side of this, every student enrolled is being affected. There are many other reasons that the time
allotted for PE classes have each day are lowered, or taking out completely like; lack of space,
no adequate supervision or subs, or even lack of participation because the students are being
involved like they should. Many PE teachers today are not giving physical education a good

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name, with a lack of qualification, or motivation to make a difference in childrens lives. Studies
have been done on whether the way most schools are having PE each day is the most efficient
and effective way to teach it. The results show that this could be a big indicator on why physical
education is looked over as a whole.

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Work Cited
Gutierrez, Ashley A., et al. "Physical Education And Recess Contributions To Sixth Graders'
Physical Activity." Physical Educator 73.1 (2016): 174-190. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Barney, David, et al. "Identifying High School Physical Education Physical Activity Patterns
After High School." Physical Educator72.2 (2015): 278-293. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Larouche, Richard, et al. "Should The Curricular Time Allocated To School Physical Education
Be Increased? Insights From Participants In A Follow-Up Of The Trois-Rivires
Study." Physical Educator 72.4 (2015): 701-720. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Apr.
2016.
Berg Svendby, Ellen. "(Re)Telling Lived Experiences In Different Tales: A Potential Pathway In
Working Towards An Inclusive PE."Sport, Education & Society 21.1 (2016): 6281. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Janssen, Mirka, et al. "Playgrounds: Effect Of A PE Playground Program In Primary Schools On
PA Levels During Recess In 6 To 12 Year Old Children. Design Of A Prospective
Controlled Trial." BMC Public Health 11.1 (2011): 282-287. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Grstn, Arto, et al. "Secondary School Students' Physical Activity Participation Across Physical
Education Classes: The Expectancy-Value Theory Approach." Physical Educator 72.2
(2015): 340-358. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.

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Prewitt, Steven L., et al. "Effect Of Personalized System Of Instruction On Health-Related
Fitness Knowledge And Class Time Physical Activity." Physical Educator 72.(2015): 2339. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Patterson, Joan. "Many Schools Cutting Back on Physical Education." Las Vegas ReviewJournal. N.p., 14 July 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
Datz, Todd. "Poll Finds Lack of Physical Education in Public Schools a Concern of
Parents." News. N.p., 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
Braun, Maureen, and Abc News Medical Unit. "Most Americans May Be Obese by 2030, Report
Warns." ABC News. ABC News Network, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.