Gymless Schools Trying To Pivot

Schools are trying to find funding to reinvest in physical education the way it was once upon a time in the 70s and 80s when recess was kickball and sweat and scooter races. Most schools want to change but don’t have the staff or, admittedly, the training to get today’s kids moving. Well-intended policies like California’s new law protecting student rights to at least 30 minutes of unrestricted play time may force schools to reallocate budgets, like reluctantly taking from art or music. It’s a good move to resurrect recess after 25 years of gym-less days, but 30 minutes for the “possibility” kids will play handball on the blacktop candidly only scratches the surface. Today after recess most middle schoolers check their phones, back then we checked our pits. Funding for play programs serving schools has been rising with some districts getting north of $1M, tapping into foundation grants from the private sector, sometimes pro-sports teams. But these programs are now competing for that funding with mental health services. My son polled his teenage listeners about this and just 27 percent of the 14,609 still have gym class. Believe it or not, nearly 30% of the other 73% say they have thought about suicide, sometimes for a friend’s struggles, sometimes their own. I wonder when we’ll realize play is mental health and that it’s time we re-learn what things like recess can do.