The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, June 27, 2006Re: 308 schools, 308 report cards, June 9.
The Fraser Institute did an exceptional review of the academic side of our schools based on standardized-test scores compiled by the Ontario Education Quality and Accountability Office. But there was no mention of the schools' physical education or arts programs because the EQAO only tests Grade 3 and Grade 6 reading, writing and math.
This process misses a very important component of a well-rounded school. It has been clearly demonstrated that physical education is essential to the healthy development of our children and youth. In physical education classes, children develop knowledge and skills that help them in other school subjects, as well as building attitudes and habits for a healthy future.
An active lifestyle is the biggest antidote to the growing crisis of inactivity and obesity. More than half of Canadian children are overweight and most are not even active enough to be healthy. Our schools are an important partner in the effort to develop healthy, active children.
This is especially important in light of Ontario Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson's announcement of the action plan for healthy eating and active living. The new plan has a major emphasis on both nutrition and daily physical activity in schools.
Active Ottawa Actif, a community-based collaboration, aims to promote, provide and support accessible and affordable opportunities for all citizens of Ottawa to participate in physical activity. "Get active your way every day!" We support a number of initiatives that help prevent chronic disease and disability, and promote mental health and social well-being. A few of our programs are "I Love to Skate," which provides skates, helmets and skating lessons to children for free, "Healthy Active Schools," which works with elementary schools to develop and deliver the health and activity message and "Live It," which does the same within the high schools.
For many students, school is the only place that they experience moderate or vigorous physical activity. In addition to improved health, it has been shown that students who are active have better concentration at school, have improved self esteem, lower dropout rates and lower levels of stress. As a result, when we are assessing educational institutions, we should be looking at the holistic environment they provide and include physical education as a key part of that environment.
While we commend the work on our schools done by the Fraser Institute, we should look at how physical activity and the arts rate, too.
Sue Holloway,
Ottawa
and John Campbell,
Val-des Monts
