Problems Facing Physical Education I am not one hundred percent positive, but I am pretty sure I want to major in Physical Education. There are many problems and dilemmas facing professionals in Physical Education. Problems range from poor facilities to kids not receiving proper treatment in the class. I think the biggest problem is the poor facilities.Most states do not even meet the minimum recommendations for physical activity of 50 to 200 minutes a week, according to a 1997 National Association for Sport and Physical Education survey. Even if the kids have a regular physical education class they may not be getting any real exercise. One study in California found that during the course of one week, "school kids were getting only six to 20 minutes of activity tops," says study author James Sallis, Ph.D., professor of psychology at San Diego State University. Most of gym period was spent doing activities such as lining up for attendance or watching other kids take their turn. In some schools PE class was just another period of recess. Budget cuts and lack of teacher training is really starting to hit home. The percentage of youngsters who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years. (According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 percent of children ages six to 11 are overweight, as are 12 percent of adolescents.) It's not just from poor eating habits. The average child in America spends more than four hour a day watching TV or playing computer or video games. If the children are not getting the proper amount of exercise then that can make the difference between being normal weight and overweight.Too many PE programs are characterized by over sized classes, poor facilities, and little administrative support. Another dilemma facing PE has nothing to do with the budget or facilities. Some teachers teaching the classes are not properly qualified or trained. A lot of programs have instruc...
