In the ongoing push for academic excellence, an alarming trend has emerged in schools: a shift away from physical education and other experiential subjects like art, music, and manual arts. This prioritisation of academics over physical activity may seem logical, especially in a world where competition and technology have taken centre stage, but it’s a short-sighted approach that jeopardises the health and well-being of students. Physical education in schools is not a luxury — it’s a core part of a child’s development.
Unfortunately, many schools in Australia, due to teacher shortages, are resorting to using non-specialist teachers to deliver health and PE lessons or outsourcing these programs, leaving parents to foot the bill. This compromises the quality of education children receive and deprives them of critical support for physical and mental health. If this doesn’t serve as a wake-up call for parents and educators, it should.
The long-term impact of this trend on children’s health and well-being cannot be ignored. The problem runs much deeper than just a gap in PE lessons. As schools focus more narrowly on academics, children — who are built to move and explore — are being forced into sedentary, screen-based activities that stifle both movement and creativity.
This increasingly rigid academic structure risks not only their physical health but also their cognitive and emotional development. Annie Fogarty The health risks associated with this shift are sign.