An elementary school in Montreal, Canada is seeing the effects of giving students extra hours of Physical Education (PE) class. Instead of the usual three hours a week, the students have five hours of gym class. Experts have said all along that extra hours of gym class benefit the kids physically and mentally, which can help them succeed as students.
CBC reports that students at the Pierre-de-Coubertin school who are given extra hours of P.E. classes are more well-adjusted and have become more attentive in the classes. Teachers observe that the kids seem happier to be in school and they don't spend their time wasting away.
Even as the kids don't spend too much time studying for their academics, they still do well in school. The school district has prepared for adding extra hours of gym class by hiring more gym teachers, who personalize the instructions.
In 2013, a study published in National Institutes of Health showed how students who were asked to do physical exercises first before taking a math exam did fairly well. The kids were apparently a lot calmer and relaxed while answering test papers, thus they made fewer mistakes in the exams.
Another study, published in the journal Plos One, cited that children who were more physically active had better memory retention. Thus, during a test on maps and geography, they were able to answer 40 percent better than the kids who had little or no aerobic activity.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention cites that ideally, children below the age of 17 years old should be getting an hour's worth of physical activities daily. Advocates of extra hours of P.E. classes in schools continue to push this as the norm, instead of the exception, especially since school districts across America have different requirements and standards.
What do you think, parents? Should schools in America all adopt extra hours of P.E. classes? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
