+79 If a high school requires gym class three of the four years, in a way the school's saying that, when it gets down to it, gym isn't really necessary. it'd be better to either require P.E. all four years, or not require it at all. amirite?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

gym sucks. I mostly read during gym.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

agreed. i just think requiring it is silly...exercise should be our personal choice, fit into our own lifestyles...outside of school. that's my opinion, at least.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Your opinion doesn't count, unless you vote. At that point your opinion still doesn't count because elections are rigged. God bless America.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

maybe not, but it certainly matters! and if i work towards changing the minds of those opinions that do count...i mean, it can happen, can't it? i can make my opinion count.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes, but you need a lot of people and work really hard. Its not very possible in this establishment for true separation of church and state.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i'm just really silly i suppose, but what does the separation of church and state have to do with this?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You have terrific ideas, not silly. Its a shame people don't ideas like you; it'd make the world a better place. My idea is to run for president in the year 2024, thats when I'll be old enough to be president. Anyway, what I meant to say was, there is a substantial amount of the country controlled by a very few elite. They are nice, White Christian Men, with lots of money, and who's families are intermarried, just like in a monarchy. It would take an enormous political movement to change things for the better for everyone. Pledging Allegiance to the flag, also pledges allegiance to god. When you're young they'd make you say it every day and every day, so you knew your place; so you would be subordinate. Thats not separation of church and state. Money too. Its there, subtly, but most people don't care enough to pay attention or change... I hope I made sense.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's not pledging allegiance to God... It says the word God in it, OMG let's freak out! :O

by Anonymous 12 years ago

They actually changed the law so that kids aren't required to say it anymore. And yeah, there are NO atheist/adulterous/corrupt people in politics!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Obviously... it doesn't take the required time to figure that out. Gym classes everywhere are basically a blow off class except for the fitness gram.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I think requiring a class to make students more fit is a great way to cut down on child obecsity in America. I only had to take social studies three of four years of highschool (sophmores didn't take it for some reason) does that mean you don't need it? I mean, if you get right down to it, no class in hgihschool matters after learning basic grammar and math, that doesn't mean the class shouldn't exists.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

(Your+name+(optional)): not after learning basic grammar and math...if you get right down to it, absolutely all high school classes do not matter! but gym is that oddball class that is easiest to eject from the rest of requisite courses, as school is about mental growth, and gym class is really more about only the physical.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

my school only has gym 1 year hehehehe

by Anonymous 12 years ago

At my high school, you only had to take one semester of gym and then you were done for all four years.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

well that's basically us too because we don't have the semestered system, we have day 1 and day 2 so it's like gym every other day so basically half a year

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Like someone above me said, most classes aren't required all years. At my high school, English is the only class required all four years. Does that mean they should cut math out of the overall requirements? Of course not. Gym might not be as important as some academic classes, but the reasoning behind this is definitely flawed.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

i do see your point, but i must say that with math and whatnot, they can expect you to just remember what you learned in the courses. with gym class, it's about keeping your body fit--and this requires weekly (at the very least!) efforts. at least at my school, students in gym class did virtually the same things in every grade, whereas with other academic courses different grades cover different subjects or themes. to then not force daily (or near that) exercise seems to me that gym was never really needed from the beginning, then. math is different because it's Algebra then Geometry then Calculus, or whatever other schools may offer. gym class, where i come from, covered the same activities every year, thus only putting forth 'importance' in the fact that it is practiced daily in class. but if the requisite 'practice' ends, then why was it required in the first place?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Gym class makes kids resent exercise because they are forced to do activities that they don't enjoy in a manner that is purely educational, not "fun". If gym class HAS to be required, it should be much less structured.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Gym is a good "gesture", but the way they execute it is very poor. The amount of exercise done is not enough to change anyone's life, and those who don't need it still have to do it. Unhealthy kids are going to stay unhealthy, and an hour long period of minimal exercise is not going to do much, seeing as most people just sit there and talk. Good day to you sir.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

If you get caught talking instead of excercising at my school, you get to stay after and run a lap. An hour a day or every other day (depending n how your class schedule is) for 9 monthes is a lot of exercise in my opinion.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

(Your+name+(optional)): Gym is a joke for us, and the teachers seem to think that as well. Can someone please tell me how a unit on how to properly stand on a skateboard is useful?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Thats because they already teach the students how to stay fit. When it comes down to it, either way, ater high school, there is no required gym, so its better to start learning how to take care of your own body by yourself at a young age than be used to someone pushing you and give up completely once high school is over. Just like everything else in school, they teach you the knowledge of the skills to succeed, but you have to be motivated to put it to good use in the long run.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Lol, taking care of my body. I do SOME athletic activity when I get bored and I'm on my school's colorguard, but I eat like a pig. But somehow my BMI is BARELY above underweight....when my metabolism slows down, I'm screwed.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yea, I get what you mean, but you must remember that BMI doesn't go with whats healthy, it goes with whats average. They changed the scale about ten years ago,so the people who are almost underweight on the scale now would have been perfectly average ten years ago.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yeah, I know. But I'm still at a healthy weight. And I actually agree with your point, haha :P. I was just sharing a random tidbit of personal information that was ever so slightly relevant.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yea, and I just felt the need to reply with a comment that is ever so slightly relevant to your comment. :)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

What about the athletes that do a school sport or two? Why should they be required to take gym during their sport season if they're already getting exercise? Or the kids that do sports OUTSIDE of school a few times a week?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

my highschool only requires one credit of that, freshmen PE then 1 elective ^_^

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Someone above me said it should be someone's personal choice to exercise. Sure. But most people wouldn't exercise if not for gym. I hate gym, but I don't have the motivation to exercise outside of school. I'm really glad I do pe because it means I'm actually doing some exercise regularly.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

And this is why American children are obese.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I've actually had a GOOD experience with how my school deals with PE classes. They're REAL classes--not general. Aerobics, basketball, sports conditioning, weight training, tennis, track classes, etc. There's a huge variety. I take aerobics because it does a little bit of everything, and it's really difficult. Each and every teacher for the PE department actually cares whether or not the kids participate. My aerobics teacher watches all of us VERY closely, and is so picky, that she'll take of three points for the day if you say, miss a push-up or two. It's only required for a year-and-a-half, but I'm taking all four years because it's actually made a huge difference in my life. I've lost about 25 pounds and I exercise out of school. Taking PE classes like that really gets you into the habit of exercising. Eventually it feels good, and you figure out what works for you. I realise it's definitely not like that for everybody or for every school, but I think it should still be required.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I guess it just comes down to the specific curriculum and teachers that a school has, that determines how useful PE classes are. In middle and elementary school they're useless; I'd always sit those out. But you can't in my high school's PE classes, and it's definitely a lot better. The entire system should be done like that, I suppose. But it seems like it might be a budget problem for schools--and some countries in particular. ...anyway. I disagree with the reasoning on this post, like a few people above me. But I definitely see how it could seem like PE classes are useless and halfhearted attempts at making kids healthier. Oh, and some kids need room in their schedules for other electives, and requiring PE all four years would screw up their college and career plans. Obviously not that badly, but it's good to start early. That's what I'm doing so that I can make it through to college with as little suffering as possible.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

school should be about mental growth. PE doesn't really fall into that category. personal fitness should be just that: personal. i think that PE, though certainly beneficial, requires too much money (equipment) and has too little academic relevance to be a requisite class. what is the best way to be a healthy person? have a good diet...and do we have to take any diet/food courses as high schoolers? i didn't. just as diet, though, is just something that's "known," so is physical fitness. the basics are quite common knowledge, and the basics are all that are ever covered in gym class. i understand the nation's obesity is a problem, but if a school is really that concerned, make PE required for four years, so that students truly to get in shape by working out daily. PE is only ever about practice, not how to throw a ball but the fact you got your heart rate up. thus academia=learning new things, and PE=practice. 3 years=gesture, fitness is really your own thing. 4 years=truly important.

by Anonymous 12 years ago