Should Your Grade in Gym Affect Your GPA

Gym grades affecting your grade point average is a very debated topic. I believe that is should be graded and here’s why. Imagine having to do all the work to get a good grade in gym, and then finding out its not even being graded. You would probably not see a need to try anymore. That means no more effort, no more showing up in uniforms, and then eventually simply skipping it entirely. Two decades ago, 42 percent of public school children attended gym classes daily. Today, gym has been reduced to once a week in many schools.

Nationally, only 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools, and 2 percent of high schools in the U. S. provide daily gym classes. The department of Education is required to create district plans for PE. Their last report was written in 1982. Since then childhood and adult obesity has been recognized as a significant public health issue.

In 2002, a team of public health scientists and nurses found that over 50 percent of kindergarteners through fifth graders were overweight or obese. All of this is going on, yet schools are still getting rid of gym class.

They find it a waste of money since nobody shows up or even tries; all because it’s not counted for a grade. Getting rid of gym class will just make obesity rates rise. Daily physical education has been found to increase kid’s abilities to learn and focus. Over 50 studies have confirmed the following academic benefits of physical education: Increased PE time increases student’s ability to focus and stay on task. Short PE breaks of only 20 minutes can help students pay attention in class and even score better on tests. Physical activity releases endorphins that make us feel happier.

Countless sources have all verified the positive effects of physical education on school performance; no studies have shown a negative effect. Clearly, physical education has been helping us learn better, and should be kept in schools. Having it count towards your GPA will be that little boost to actually participate and be active in gym class. Most colleges today are looking for well rounded students, not just those who are strong physically or academically. Gym is still a class, and a GPA is and average of ALL your classes.

It helps us get in shape and learn about fitness. And, even if being fit doesn’t lead to more academic success, I think we can generally agree that it’s a good thing to encourage everyone. If some students are so focused on getting into college that they only care about their GPAs, then what’s wrong with using that to motivate them to get into better shape? College is not the ultimate goal in life, and I’d argue that living a life balanced by exercise and general fitness is more important than getting into a slightly better college in the long run.

While PE classes might not represent academic ability, they represent the ability to show up and make some effort to do what’s expected of you. For people who struggle, then effort should be taken into account, but so should results. I’m not saying that everyone should have to do 50 pushups and run a 6-minute mile but the vast majority of people who can’t meet a certain level of fitness should at least be able to make some progress toward that goal. Every other class carries the expectation that you’ll improve over the course of the year. Why shouldn’t PE be the same?

Math class, with its bright line between the right answer and the wrong answer, allows for students to do extra homework, present homework problems to the class, or participate in class discussions as ways to improve your grade… even if you’re not particularly good at math. So why cant you in PE? Yes, people who are naturally athletic will have an easier time doing it. So what? This is no different than people who have natural skill in math or language excelling in those classes. Some people say that the grading system for gym is unfair. I disagree.

Most schools, like ours, grade students mostly on their effort, like; showing up, wearing the uniform, and participating, not on their ability to play a sport. Some people argue that “The only purpose of these tests is so that people who slack off in class can still bring up their grades. ” Clearly incorrect. Gym was not designed to just raise the marks of slackers. Gym class was designed to teach kids how to lead a healthy life style and be active. It doesn’t matter if gym is optional or mandatory; the amount of effort you put in should be rewarded.

If these “slackers” are putting effort into gym, they still should be rewarded for it. People also argue that “If an intelligent person isn’t that physically fit, it will affect what colleges they can go to, and that’s just not right. ” First off, gym class is considered one of the easiest courses to pass. Secondly, gym class marking shouldn’t be based off of physical capability, most physical education courses are now based off of effort. If it isn’t marked like that, you cannot blame the course but the markers. Now that I have told you my views on gym grades, is yours still the same?