Has P.E. changed in a good or a bad way? It has definitely made an impact on high school students. It is unfortunate that students say they don’t enjoy PE as much as before, as physical activity plays a crucial role to have a healthy school environment and it is a time when students can enjoy and forget about their responsibilities. It has always been a very competitive space for students, but because of school decisions its rigor has lowered and students don’t enjoy the class as much as before. It is vital that P.E. should go back like it was before.

4 years ago, P.E. had different ways of teaching than how they are teaching now, it was separated into categories to make P.E. more competitive, it was girls alone and boys alone, and inside these, there were 3 more categories; high-performance students, medium or standard performance, and low or not very interested in P.E. students. This helped students compete with other students of the same or similar interests, standards, or abilities. This was helpful for the ones who enjoyed playing in P.E. or doing exercise, were more competitive in their games, and wanted the environment more, and the same happened with the lower-performing students.

“The experience for a woman was better and for the boys themselves it was also more motivating because, for example, groups of girls were present. For example, students who were not very sporty but since they were all at the same level, there was great motivation for them to play because they were only women who are not athletes. So in the case of athletes, it was more motivating,” Hernan Chapo, HS P.E. Teacher, said.

What changed was that the school decided not to have different groups divided by level or gender, and this created controversy. Some teachers say its rigor has increased and students are doing very well, while other teachers and students say their performance in class has lowered a ton. They don’t enjoy it as much as before.

“I think it’s definitely less competitive because it’s true that a man in my opinion is much stronger and will always have, I don’t know, more strength than women in general, so I think it’s more difficult. For women to join the games, on the other hand, I think that when it was divided by categories and by gender, it was much more competitive and I think it was physically demanding, I liked it a lot,” Mariana Mesa, Grade 11, said.

P.E. is very important for high schoolers because it helps them take care of their bodies and minds. Exercise is great for the body, but it also helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and sharpen cognitive function. Plus, by working together in P.E. activities, students get to develop important social skills like teamwork, communication, and cooperation. Overall, P.E. classes are an awesome way for high schoolers to take care of themselves, make friends, and have fun.

Physical education is an essential component of a school’s educational program for several reasons. P.E. helps students to develop physical fitness and improve their motor skills. Students develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making, which they can apply to other areas of their lives. It helps students Improve academic performance. Exercising releases endorphins, which is a chemical that helps you regulate mood, reduce stress, and relieve pain. 

Many students may not find P.E. interesting due to various reasons. Some may feel pressured to compete and perform well in front of their peers, particularly when placed in classes with more athletically-inclined individuals. This can lead to anxiety and a lack of enjoyment in the activities. Schools and teachers have become more aware of the importance of building students’ self-esteem and confidence. They have shifted away from competitive activities that may put students at risk of feeling embarrassed or inadequate.

The majority of students strongly believe that the competitiveness of the class has decreased because of several reasons. Before the classes changed, P.E. had a heavy emphasis on competition and winning, which encouraged students to be motivated during class time. However, when the change occurred, students felt unmotivated.

“As you said, P.E. was much, much more competitive and entertaining and whenever we played, there was too much competition. I also remember that we were organized by levels so they put athletes with athletes and the truth is that I liked the P.E. better than before,” Matias Izasa, Grade 11, said. 

Not only students are feeling the same way about P.E. classes teachers too. There are some teachers that are starting to think that a good solution to make P.E competitive again is to make it an elective for next year. This way, students who don’t want to have P.E., are not forced to, and the athletic students who do, are able to.

“It would seem better to me if in grades 11 and 12 the P.E class was selective for the students. Since it is not fair that a student does not like soccer and has to be in a soccer unit,” Urbano Mesa, P.E. teacher, said.

Some students have proposed solutions to make P.E. classes more competitive again. Many students and some P.E. teachers believe that in order to make P.E. classes more competitive and accessible to all students. Separating the classes by skill level allows the students to compete amongst themselves more effectively. By being paired with other athletic students, they could be motivated to improve their skills.

“In the beginning, P.E. was organized by athletic levels and by gender and it was a very enjoyable space for the boys and they were enjoying the class,” Hernan Arango, P.E. teacher, said.

P.E. Teachers are also not enjoying the class as much as before. For them, enjoying class means watching their students have a fun time playing around. The more competitive it is between the kids, the more enjoyable it is.

 In conclusion, many students and teachers strongly believe that P.E. has a real purpose, but the school is not fulfilling it properly. P.E. is a time for students to have fun and release any anxiety they may have. While it’s true that academic achievement is essential, the school should not compromise the quality of physical education for the sake of students who don’t want to participate or who will only put in minimum effort. By emphasizing the importance of physical education, and setting high expectations for students’ performance, P.E. can help students develop healthy habits that will benefit them for life.