LANSING, Mich. — Rep. Maureen Stapleton, D-Detroit, has introduced a bill that would mandate physical education requirements for elementary and middle schools, according to Ann Arbor.com. Elementary students would be required to have 30 minutes of physical education twice a week, while junior high students would have 45 minutes per day. Additional health education courses would be required for all grades and all physical and health education classes would be required to have student-teacher ratios similar to other classroom settings, Ann Arbor.com reported.
Several districts already meet some of the proposed requirements, according to Ann Arbor.com. Traverse City Area Public Schools, for example, does not meet the middle school requirements but exceeds the requirements for elementary students.
SOURCE:
AnnArbor.com, “Bill would mandate physical education in all public K-12 schools,” Dec. 31, 2011
FURTHER READING:
Michiganvotes.org, “2011 House Bill 5019: Mandate school physical and health education hours”
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.