Daily physical activity policy not working in schools

Photo: Highwaystarz-Photography/ThinkStock Photos

Ten years after daily physical activity was mandated in elementary schools, many Ontario teachers report students aren’t getting their 20 minutes of exercise each school day, says a University of Waterloo public health researcher.

“When we actually asked educators in our study, we found that 80 per cent of principals and 64 per cent of teachers are unable to implement the policy in their schools or classrooms, and the majority of students aren’t meeting the requirements daily,” said Kristin Brown, a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health and Health Systems.

Resources and space barriers

Developed in response to rising obesity rates among children, the well-intentioned Ontario Ministry of Education policy asks teachers to provide 20 minutes of physical activity during instructional time, on top of recess or lunch hour activities. Estimates suggest that only seven percent of children in Canada meet the Canadian physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes of activity a day.

“While most teachers agree that the policy is a good idea, there are several barriers to implementing it,” said Brown. Limited classroom space provided teachers with the greatest challenge, followed closely by a lack of resources. 

“A lot of these teachers aren’t trained in physical education, it’s hard for them to come up with activities that are fun and fresh,” said Brown. “Couple that with very limited space in classrooms and other curriculum requirements, and there is a real challenge.”

Although teachers were provided with resources when the policy first launched in 2005, most find them outdated and inadequate for today’s classroom needs.

“Unfortunately, physical activity isn’t so much a priority as the public health world would like to think,” said Brown, adding that there is currently limited monitoring of the policy in schools .

More support for teachers

According to Brown, the key to successfully implementing the policy is to have strong leadership at the school level. When a principal or teacher champions the policy, teachers are more likely to have resources to support them in meeting the requirements.

Equally as important, are strong advocates for teachers at the policy level.

“When we’re creating these policies, we need to consider the perspectives of those who are going to be running them, do consultations, make sure there are enough resources,” said Brown. “It is the health of our children; we should be doing everything we can to support teachers.”