Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-10
Physical Unfitness

The latest findings of the Presidents
Council on Youth Fitness fully warrant
the adjectives, Shocking" and fright
ening," which Mr.. Kennedy has applied
to them. 1t is a pathetic thing that the
physical strength and agility Of school
aged youth have ebbed to such an abys-
mally low tide that fourth Of them are
unable to perform even the few mini
mum activities of the simple screening
test evolved by the Council-a test re-
quiring, for example, that 16-year-old
boy be able to chin himself three times.
Certainly the fault does not lie
wholly in the schools. The deplorable
state of unfitneSs disclosed by the Coun-
Gil is all too Symptomatic Of the soft
ness of our puSh-button life, of over
weight, of a general Discrimination by
so many young people to engage in rig
orouS activity, and of a lack Of concern
by parents. Yet we think that the Pres
ident is entirely right in his conclusion
that the schools also must bear a heavy
responsibility, and in his appeal that
administrators adopt more effective
programs Of physical fitneSS-beginning
in the school year Immediately ahead.
Mr.. Kennedy says that some so per
cent of the Nations school children "do
not participate in daily program of
vigorous physical activity" In Wash
ington area elementary schools, daily
periods for such activities are set aside
by each system. Indeed, Virginia law
requires for such pupils 80 minutes of
physical education day. But this, &C
cording to those physical education
directors with whom we have spoken,
by no means guarantees the vigorous
physical activity" to which the President
referred. In most cases these periods
are left to the supervision Of the regular
classroom teacher. Many are highly
beneficial. Others are little more than
a recess" In some instances, these pro-
grams are bolStered by visits from we'll
trained physical education instructors
But in Montgomery County, for ex-
ample, the 10 itinerant experts on the
payroll last year were forced to divide
their efforts among 101 elementary
schools.
In contrast, Arlington County de-
cided few years ago on the goal of
qualified physical training instructor in
each elementary school, to work daily
with each class. Next fall such inStruc-
tors will be in half the schools. BY the
following year the number is expected
to reach 100 per cent.
While compulsory physical educa-
ton" programs beyond the elementary
school level in the Washington area are
more intenSively organized and con-
Quoted, they devote, as a rule, a con-
siderable amount of time to various
forms of health instruction" as well
as to actual physical activity. In the
upper grades of high school, moreover,
participation in most of these programs
is on an elective basis.
Whether, as Arlington has seen fit
to do, our other school systems strike
out with dramatic expansions in phySi-
cal education, will depend in all likeli-
hood as much on the interest and con-
Germ expressed by parents as on that of
school officials The report of the Pres
ident'S Council deserves their mutual
attention, not only for its account of
the deficiencies which exist, but for it's
illustrations Of the improvement in
physical condition which have followed
more effective training programs where
these have ben instituted in the schools.