Mandatory Swimming Lessons

[Zkirsche]

Wow! I'm sure most people feel the exact same way about their academic classes! And they probably get moaned at even more for doing poorly in academics than sports!

Classmates won't lecture you, though. The people who moan at you for doing badly is your parents, and they'd moan at you if you had an unhealthy lifestyle regardless. Fellow students tend to pick on others more for being bad at sport than being bad at academics.

Also, the only mandatory academic subjects here in the UK were maths, english and science. All of which are arguably much more important than Physical Education anyway in terms of job potential. Schools are not there to keep children fit by babysitting them for an hour each week, that's what their parents should be encouraging.

Edit: But you know, what? Maths, science and english may/should not be academic necessities. That shouldn't detract from the point that physical education should be a necessity.

the only people who I have ever met that didn't think gym should be mandatory were people who were either fat, lazy, and/or out of shape.

This is a pathetic attitude. What if I said all those who said gym should be mandatory are stupid, inconsiderate jocks?

I've even met people who were good at physical education say that it shouldn't be mandatory for everyone. So this stereotype is completely uncalled for. Heck, I know a relatively unfit person who is very enthusiatic about sport.

Some people don't like writing or math to be graduation requirements either. However, physical health is as much a necessity in a happy life as any of the others.

Is school supposed to be preparation for a happy life? I always thought school was supposed to be an institution which teaches kids about the world so that their ready for work.

And I know plenty of unfit people who have a happy life, so it's hardly a necessity.

Edited August 11, 2011 by kirsche

[-Cynthia-]

Is school supposed to be preperation for a happy life? I always thought school was supposed to be an institution which teaches kids about the world so that their ready for work.

And I know plenty of unfit people who have a happy life, so it's hardly a necessity.

I suppose the main question regarding physical education is whether schools are supposed to prepare you for work/ prepare you mentally to learn new tasks, or whether schools are supposed to help you have a happier life. Personally if schools are aiming for the latter, I think they are missing a lot of important aspects (such as any sort of education regarding personal relationships, or knowing about current events, or any number of things relevant to life that the curriculum doesn't cover.)

Also I suppose it's debatable whether practicing volleyball skills or whatever actually leads to increasing health later in life (because exercise has to be done repeatedly in order to have a significant effect, it can't just be learned).

Edited August 11, 2011 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix Wright]

I don' think it's necessary. Just encourage learning how to swim and discourage swimming while drunk.