February 16, 2012
By Kimberly Vlach – Florida lawmakers who seek to remove the physical education requirement from the middle school curriculum argue that it’s a financial burden on cash-strapped schools to provide PE, when there’s no funding mechanism to support the program. But those who want to keep phys ed in grades 6-8 say that physical activity is needed during the day to allow students to release pent-up energy and be able to focus in the classroom. HealthyState.org looks further into the role physical education has in childhood development – physical, mental and social – and how fitness and academics are intertwined.
[VIDEO] By Farah Dosani – Drew Gordon, 11, dribbles his basketball across the Bonita Springs Middle School gym. The sixth-grader starts each school day with physical education this semester. But he may have to get used to the idea of not having the class at all if the Florida Legislature passes a bill to remove the state law requiring physical education in middle schools. HealthyState.org visited a gym class in Lee County to find out what the kids thought of PE and how the teacher and the school district view PE as a component of a student’s total education.
Florida middle schools are required to provide the equivalent of 1 class period per day of physical education to middle school students (grades 6 through 8). Elementary schools are required to provide at least 30 minutes of PE everyday. Take a look at how the numbers stack up surrounding the health and fitness of Florida’s children.