Should gym teachers be held accountable for unhealthy children?
Jackie Browning, RD, with Bon Secours Weight Loss Institute, with a second grade class at Christ the King Catholic School in Norfolk
Gym teachers are feeling the pressure as childhood obesity increases across the nation. Virginia Beach School Board Chairman, Dan Edwards, and others on the School Board have said they “eventually want gym teachers to be held responsible if out-of-shape children don’t show improvement.”
These PE educators already administer a series of physical fitness tests on a variety of measures, including flexibility and abdominal strength, but on the recommendation of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity schools are now requiring that PE instructors report these scores to principals and parents. Other school divisions already track these scores, but Virginia Beach will be the first in Hampton Roads to measure body mass index (BMI) scores in order to better measure students’ fitness.
Some parents think that schools are crossing the line with these health measures. While schools have a responsibility to educate and inform children about the health benefits of nutrition and an active lifestyle, many teachers balk at the idea that they should be held accountable for their students’ health. Many teachers argue that there are too many variables in a child’s health outside of the classroom to reasonably reflect the impact of a single gym class, and that students should be tested on concepts covered in the classroom.
What do you think- should school officials hold gym teachers responsible if out-of-shape children don’t show improvements?
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