![\"School](\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/GettyImages-115093584-scaled-1-1024x680.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Legislation would would require all students to participate in a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each school day (Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A Missouri House bill aims to increase the physical education requirements for K-12 students.<\/p>\n
Introduced by Rep. Bishop Davidson, a Republican from Republic, the legislation would require all students to participate in a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each school day. PE classes, additional recesses and other supervised physical activities could fulfill the new requirement, as outlined by the bill.<\/p>\n
The bill does include caveats for students with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Student-athletes, who are occasionally excused from physical education requirements, would not be exempt from the required 60 minutes of daily activity under the bill.<\/p>\n
Legislators expressed concerns over the bill\u2019s logistics \u2014 an additional hour of required learning could disrupt or extend the current school schedule. Davidson told a House committee Wednesday that he does not intend for the bill to add more time to the school day or detract from other Common Core curriculum requirements.<\/p>\n
Haley Edwards, a senior at Republic High School in Greene County, testified in favor of the bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see the signs that tie (exercise) back to physical well-being and mental well-being, and I think that this bill really opens doors to be able to see those effects,\u201d Edwards said.<\/p>\n
The National Education Association has not yet determined whether legislative action is necessary to enact the proposed requirement, but a spokesman said the organization believes that increased physical activity would benefit students.<\/p>\n
Otto Fajan, who testified on behalf of the NEA, said that the role of physical education has shrunk over the past century in American public schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a flow against (P.E.) caused by the structure of accountability,\u201d Fagen said, \u201cand standardized testing in areas that do not include physical literacy.\u201d<\/p>\n