Is phys-ed class dangerous?
A lack of adult supervision might be the reason more than 60,000 kids get hurt in gym class every year, says a new study out of Columbus, Ohio. Physical-education injuries increased nearly 150 percent over a 10-year period, and fewer school nurses and larger class sizes may be contributing factors, says the study’s senior author, Lara McKenzie of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The researchers examined emergency-room reports of gym-related injures in children ages 5 to 18 for the years 1997 to 2007, from 100 U.S. hospitals. In 1997, an average of 30,000 students went to the ER for cuts, fractures, heat stroke and other ailments. By 2007, that number more than doubled. In addition to the supervision issue, the study also suggests that schools may need more qualified physical-education instructors, particularly at the elementary level. Many districts don’t require gym teachers to be certified, yet at the same time there’s a national push for more rigorous exercise in schools.
