In the newspaper the last two days have been two astonishing studies/polls. The first has to do with Independence Day in the U.S., July 4th. Apparently a whopping 26% of citizens do not know from whom the original 13 colonies gained independence. TWENTY-SIX PERCENT!!! OK, I know that it's been what...at least 17 years since I took American History in college and add another three to that for high school, but this is pretty basic stuff. Some of the countries that were listed other than Great Britain were France, China, and Japan. We speak English here as a primary language, right? You would think that would be a give away of which countries to narrow it down to. So at what point did we as a society just up and lose our desire to know history, and not just any history, but our own?
The second study that made me grimace stated that more than 66% of Texas school children FLUNKED the state's physical fitness test. What's even more alarming was the rate at which physical fitness decreased as kids get older. And by decrease, I mean going from about a 1/3 passing rate in elementary school to an 8% passing rate in high school. I remember doing the "Presidential Physical Test" in elementary and middle school. I wasn't the best but I at least passed the test. These are not intense tests either: run a mile, curl ups, push ups, flexibility....
If only 8% of our high schoolers can pass this, at what point do we bring back mandatory physical education every day, for every semester? This is not a lifestyle choice. Kids who are more physically fit have better academic performance and less disciplinary problems. On top of that, they are more likely to carry those fitness routines into adulthood, decreasing health problems associated with obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. This means our society spends less on health problems that are preventable and can focus on other issues.
This is not just a school district's problem, either. Kids follow what their parents do. If you engage your kids in physical activity from the beginning they are more likely to keep these habits as an essential part of their life, like eating, sleeping, and breathing. Charlie and I both hope to accomplish this by setting an example for our children that working out is something we do not just for fun but also as just a regular part of our life.
Comments