Physical education is an integral part of the total education of a child. Physical education needs to be offered every day to adequately address the necessary instructional components and provide opportunities for adequate practice and health-enhancing physical activity. Objective 22.9 Increase the proportion of adolescents who participate in daily school physical education programs. Schools are an efficient vehicle for providing physical activity and fitness instruction because they reach most children and adolescents. Participation in school physical education ensures a minimum amount of physical activity and provides a forum to teach physical activity strategies and activities that can be continued into adulthood.
Skills are the tools that many adults use to maintain health and fitness. . .
Students will have a much greater propensity to participate as adults if they graduate feeling competent in one or more activities. School programs must graduate students with requisite entry skills in a variety of activities. Physical education should help students develop the attitudes, motor skills, behavioral skills, and confidence they need to engage in lifelong physical activity. For physical education to make a meaningful and consistent contribution to the recommended amount of young people s physical activity, students at every grade level should take physical education classes that meet daily and should be physically active for a large percentage of class time. With evidence that success in this arena is possible, every effort should be made to encourage schools to require daily physical education in each grade and to promote physical activities that can be enjoyed throughout life.