Reacting to fears of inactivity and obesity, the British Columbia government is making daily physical exercise activity mandatory in the province's schools, a move that is receiving a cool response from the B.C. Teachers Federation.
Starting this month, all students in British Columbia will have to complete a mandatory amount of physical activity. Time spent exercising will vary by grade.
Under the plan, students up to grade nine will have to log 30 minutes per day. There's a 15 minute minimum for kindergarten classes. For grades ten to grade 12, it's 150 minutes per week. Older grades can make up the time outside of school.
"There will be measures students track, and teachers are expected to help with that," said B.C. Education Minister Shirley Bond.
But in an interview with CTV, B.C. Teachers Federation President Irene Lanzinger had no trouble containing her enthusiasm for the plan.
"I think it's really more of a PR exercise, than a well thought out plan around the curriculum," she said.
The B.C. Teachers Federation is concerned the new program will take away from class time. It is calling the program an added burden, and at the older grades, a mere "record keeping exercise".
"Schools just don't have the room or the resources to add 30 more minutes of exercise per child for every child in the school," said Lanzinger.
The province tested the program at 13 schools earlier this year. While feedback reports indicate many students enjoyed the exercise, problems ranged from insufficient budgets for sports equipment, to a lack of space.
But some grade nine students, who spoke to CTV have mixed feelings about the requirement. Some said they welcomed the plan because they don't get enough exercise. But others took a different view.
"I think it's a good thing, but it could be tough because we already have so much school work to do,'' said one student.
"It might be good, but for students who aren't part of a team or anything, it might be hard," said another.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber.
