Give kids one hour exercise each day, schools told

[Pseudonym]

Give kids one hour exercise each day, schools told

Primary schools will be pushed to provide one hour's "moderate to vigorous" exercise each day in the country's biggest physical education shake-up.

Under the plans, designed to arrest growing obesity, schools could end up offering skate-boarding or even extreme sports to tempt children away from television and computer games and take up exercise.

The changes do not alter the PE curriculum, but will examine ways to integrate an hour of exercise into and around the school day, including before and after school and during other lessons.

But an hour's physical activity in an already crowded school day has been attacked by the head of the primary principals' organisation as "pie in the sky".

Full story here. Readers' responses here.

What do we think? Should the burden be placed on schools? Isn't it the parents' responsibility to get their kids active? Or is it too important to leave for busy parents who may or may not get around to it?

[deegee]

Good idea, but it should be the parents responisbility, but then from what I have seen many parents dont appear to care what their kids get up to and certainly dont bother pushing health and fitness.

[lazyone]

"Finally the Government might be doing something about our growing obesity rate. I think an hour of PE a day in schools will do more than help to fight obesity. It needs to teach youth how to lose weight properly and what starvation does to the body.

The Government and schools need to make PE fun, eg, inline skating, windsurfing, aerobics, dance classes and kickboxing.

Make sure all sick notes are accompanied by a call from the parents to make sure they are legitimate, and hold an info evening for parents explaining the importance of healthy nutrition and attendance of PE classes for their children."

-Hannah Grant.

I agree with the comments of this person. Parents often take the wrap for child obesity, but no one often takes the time to think about whether these parents are educated. Yeahhhhh you could argue that eating healthy is common sense, but obesity is more prevalent in areas with low socioeconomic status, and we all know how eating healthy is so blimmin' expensive! This would be hard on a family who can hardly pay their power bill or even afford a fridge... let alone buy lean cuts of meat & fresh veges.

Anyhooo, I think the 1hr of PE is a good idea.

[jono]

great idea.

[Pseudonym]

we all know how eating healthy is so blimmin' expensive!

I'm not sure I agree with you there.

KFC's Family Feast costs $22.95, and gets you 10 pieces of Original Recipe Chicken with any 4 Large Sides. Choose your own sides from Large Chips, Large Potato & Gravy, Large Coleslaw, 1.5l of Pepsi or 4 Dinner Rolls.

http://www.kfc.co.nz/index.cfm?contentNodeID=403

Compare that to: (courtesy of http://www.foodtown.co.nz)

1kg chicken thighs bone in/skin on - $5.99 (grilled to reduce fat content, skin removed to reduce fat further if desired)

2.5kg organic agria potatoes - $3.99

1kg Signature Range frozen mixed vegetables - $3.31

Total meal = $13.29

Perhaps fish and chips would cost less, but that's about the only thing, surely?

Anyway, back to the topic of exercise in schools... I'm sure it will increase health and fitness, and decrease obesity levels - but isn't this a cop-out by the community? Is this accepting that parents simply aren't up to the job? If this goes ahead, will parents simply expect the school to exercise their kids for them?

[lazyone]

we all know how eating healthy is so blimmin' expensive!

I'm not sure I agree with you there.

KFC's Family Feast costs $22.95, and gets you 10 pieces of Original Recipe Chicken with any 4 Large Sides. Choose your own sides from Large Chips, Large Potato & Gravy, Large Coleslaw, 1.5l of Pepsi or 4 Dinner Rolls.

http://www.kfc.co.nz/index.cfm?contentNodeID=403

Compare that to: (courtesy of http://www.foodtown.co.nz)

1kg chicken thighs bone in/skin on - $5.99 (grilled to reduce fat content, skin removed to reduce fat further if desired)

2.5kg organic agria potatoes - $3.99

1kg Signature Range frozen mixed vegetables - $3.31

Total meal = $13.29

Perhaps fish and chips would cost less, but that's about the only thing, surely?

Great point :nod:

Just from my experience, it isn't so much fast food thats making them fat, but the choices they make at the supermarket. They eat alot of starchy carbs like taro, cassava etc, and the meats they buy are usually of the fatty kind, like corned beef (cheap), pork, "povi masima" (fatty, heavily salted meat) is also very cheap and popular among many of us polys.

Its a misconception that polynesians are obese from fast foods. I think there are heaps of underlying issues too... sure, the governernment can bring on the 1hr of PE a day, but it won't do any good unless someone educates their parents on nutrition or the children, so they can take that information home to their parents.

Just my $0.02c

[The Legend Killer]

we all know how eating healthy is so blimmin' expensive!

I'm not sure I agree with you there.

KFC's Family Feast costs $22.95, and gets you 10 pieces of Original Recipe Chicken with any 4 Large Sides. Choose your own sides from Large Chips, Large Potato & Gravy, Large Coleslaw, 1.5l of Pepsi or 4 Dinner Rolls.

http://www.kfc.co.nz/index.cfm?contentNodeID=403

Compare that to: (courtesy of http://www.foodtown.co.nz)

1kg chicken thighs bone in/skin on - $5.99 (grilled to reduce fat content, skin removed to reduce fat further if desired)

2.5kg organic agria potatoes - $3.99

1kg Signature Range frozen mixed vegetables - $3.31

Total meal = $13.29

Perhaps fish and chips would cost less, but that's about the only thing, surely?

Anyway, back to the topic of exercise in schools... I'm sure it will increase health and fitness, and decrease obesity levels - but isn't this a cop-out by the community? Is this accepting that parents simply aren't up to the job? If this goes ahead, will parents simply expect the school to exercise their kids for them?

Well it's not just takeaways-e.g. coke is half the price of milk, potato chips and biscuits are cheaper than fruit, white bread is half the price of a full grained bread,and so forth. In fact, flavoured milk is even cheaper than normal milk these days, which seems ridiculous to me. Also lean cuts of meat are very expensive, and poorer families often have to make do with sausages or fatty mince instead.

[Spitterkat]

imo, good idea, but not just running around, why dont they actually structure some kind of training program and make it truly practical.

the parents thing, dont place blame on em, they shouldnt take the flak for not wishing to force their kids to exercise, and some people are really busy.

(go kickboxing!)

[Wynton]

imo, good idea, but not just running around, why dont they actually structure some kind of training program and make it truly practical.

the parents thing, dont place blame on em, they shouldnt take the flak for not wishing to force their kids to exercise, and some people are really busy.

I think that is what they are trying to do hence incorporating kickboxing. When you say structured training program do you mean with weights? You have to remember that they are targeting primary and intimediate kids, so running around and skipping, bodyweight exercises etc are the best forms of activity for them. Also these are the things that they will enjoy doing not structured training programmes.

Why not place some blame on the parents? They decided to have kids so therefore they are responsible for raising them correctly and making sure that they are healthy.

[ExpensiveUrine]

the parents thing, dont place blame on em, they shouldnt take the flak for not wishing to force their kids to exercise, and some people are really busy.

HEY! I'm sure they'd find time to teach their kids some stick-dueling!

:grin:

[BigBob]

IMO...

I think that schools need to provide some form of physical activity, but an hour a day could impact other areas of the school system - less time spent on other subjects, less breaks, longer days, etc...

I agree with Wynton about blaming the parents. As a proud father of a 5 and a half month old, I plan on educating him on nutrition and exercise by making exercise fun. The nutrition factor isn't too difficult, as both myself and my wife eat healthy and we only foray into the junk food once or twice a fortnight, so moderaion will be taught!

I don't believe parents should shoulder all the blame, but it should start at home.

I think kids entertainment has changed over the years. I'm not that old (25 soon) but I remember always being outside playing football, riding my bike, attacking play parks and assault courses etc. Nowadays, TV, PS2 and XBOX rule the roost (I also like to lose a couple of hours ina good game when I get teh chance), so I think it comes down to parents metering the kids time on these things, and like I said before - making exercise fun! You need to get them excited about being active, but I think that is hard with the ever-emersive environments that console and computer games can provide.

I think the convenience to parents of consoles and TV is too great - after a long, hard day at work why cope with kids when you can plonk them in front of a game or the telly and they amuse themselves for HOURS!

[The Legend Killer]

I agree with Wynton about blaming the parents. As a proud father of a 5 and a half month old, I plan on educating him on nutrition and exercise by making exercise fun. The nutrition factor isn't too difficult, as both myself and my wife eat healthy and we only foray into the junk food once or twice a fortnight, so moderaion will be taught!

Most parents don't have the nutritional knowledge themselves, I think there needs to be alot more awareness on health issues, although I think we're improving. I know when I first started out at the gym I had all the wrong ideas about nutrition etc.

[BigBob]

That's a good pont Legend Killer, maybe we should send the parents to school for an hour a day to educate them? :-)

[shane]

I think its a good idea that kids do PE, I'm 32 and remember doing PE every day at school plus it was fun. kids now days have it easy as PS2's and that kind of crap they wanna stay inside on fine days playing these games no wonder people are getting softer. Plus they got that its alrite to compete policy dosent mater where you come in your race or you dont win your rugby game etc RUBISH Winning is everything no wonder we do no go at big sporting events cause everyone is to PC. I hated not winning it F..KED me off and wanted to try harder next time Thats my own point of view people

[BigBob]

I totally agree Shane! You need to be a good loser (well, outwards appearances, at least) but a healthy competitive spirit needs to be fostered, not abolished! I hate this getting rewards for nothing crap too - my little sister gets an award just for turning up at her intermediate school. People should be teaching kids to be competitive and have desire, as that is the only way to generate the drive and disciplne required to reach their goals.

Also, how will they cope with failure later on in life if they are taught it doesn't matter, and to almost hide it while they are young? I don't want to traumatise kids, but they need to b taught importnant life lessons so that they can surive in the real world.

I hope with what I teach my son, and then getting to see me bust my ass for my physique and career goals will give him the grit and determination to follow through on his hopes and dreams so he can achieve something in his life.

Well, that's the hope!!!

[shane]

Thanks BigBob be gracious indefeat is a good thing to learn and as you said what about later in life. I'm all for PE in schools it gets the kids using team work getting fit and and having fun also creating that competitive spirit good on the government on this one :grin:

[The Legend Killer]

I think though that part of the reason why kids no longer play outside all afternoon is danger stranger etc. Parents see playing PS2 as a safer option for them.

[BigBob]

That is a good point! Still, it doesn't take a lot to supervise kids - until my boy gets into his early teens, I reckon I'll be out there hooning around and playing footy with him!

Maybe we should lobby the govenment to get RFID chips placed in all babies at birth - that way parents can track where their children are at all times, right down to the nearest 2 metres or so... Of course, parents would form a pact so that the children would never know of these chips, Dad's of daughters would like it especially, I'm sure!!!

[Macforeigner]

This is just such a big issue but one that we all have opinions on.

I guess my position is that of an ex-2ry school teacher but also as a kid who had pro-active parents. On the other side of the fence I have experience of parents 'dumping' kids at school as they are too busy trying to earn a crust for the perfect lifestyle or can't be bothered to discipline kids at home - therefore making it someone elses problem. Working parents then get home knackered and have no gas to play with kids..and the ones who can't be bothered...........can't be bothered and so the kids are out on the street.

How many times do you hear parents say 'I'll be glad once the Holidays are over"? That sort of comment speaks volumes.

So - its not a case of attributing responsibility for kids being healthy surely? If you have kids - YOU are the responsible party first and foremost. End of story.

It's a values thing.

We all want an easy life at the end of the day and I don't blame parents for (ab)using the 'system' because thats the way people are.

That's why I don't teach anymore. I just wanted to teach kids science & maths...not deal with all the social crap that many parents don't fix in the home. Including basic health for kids in far too many cases.

There are loads of good people out there bringing kids up well and there are always going to be some kids that get a rough ride. I just felt that there were too many being denied the attention they really needed - health and activities inclusive.

As parents we have to look after our kids. If I had a dog I wouldn't expect everyone else to teach it the 'rights and wrongs', so why do we have this situation with so many kids?

I wanted to 'make' kids do sports at school but you can't - teachers don;t have the right to enforce it and once again this is in the end a respnsibilty thing. It's just far too easy to write a note for little Johnny to let him off PE rather than deal with whatever the real reason he doesn't want to do it is at home. Yes I know - some kids ARE actually injured!!!

So its a complex thing and I haven't even said anything about diet yet...!!

Sorry if this is a little cynical and if i sound a bit old fashioned. The funny thing is that I had a more rewarding time in the 'deprived' area I taught in than in the 'middle class' area....That's another issue though.

So many things I could go on about...

[Pseudonym]

If I had a dog I wouldn't expect everyone else to teach it the 'rights and wrongs', so why do we have this situation with so many kids?

:nod: Nice point.

[BigBob]

I don't think some people really take stock of the effort involved in bringing up kids, plus human nature dictates that we will take the easiet route if it is there, so you really have to force yourself to stick at it (much the same as the bodybuilding lifestyle!)

The diet and exercise part is going to be the easy part with my son, I'm just not looking forward to the maths homework he brings home!!! :shock: Sorry son, your Dad's a dumbass!

[Macforeigner]

Send the Maths Homework over to me Bob - I'll tee you up

[BigBob]

Sweet! Now I just need to tee up some people for Foreign languages (especially Maori!!!) and the sciences and I'll have a straight A student when he eventually starts school!!! :pfft:

[markm]

Parents have a responsibility to ensure the good health of their children, but as we can see by walking down the street, a lot of parents obviously don't agree with me or just don't see the importance of it, so yeah, it's got my vote, get 'em doin' some exercise in school.

[jahman]

ooh i knw the funnest form of exercise all schools should get wrestling rings and every lunchtime have an all out brawl,sure all the kids will come home with blood noses broken bones etc. but they willl be healthier for it :twisted: SO GIVE THEM A WRESTLING RING!!!