There is a vast gap between expectation and reality with physical education.

When parents think of physical education, they expect that their kids will have a chance to run around and get some form of physical exertion after having been confined in class all day. In reality, however, schools understand that they are not going to be judged by the strength of the physical education classes they offer. Ultimately, schools care about getting as many of their kids as possible to graduate and go off to college, not having their kids run around for an hour a day.

In Wayland, this paradox is stark: the town is reluctant to invest in physical education, but is bound by law to provide some sort of health program to kids. What we are left with is an antiquated class that is long enough to be a major nuisance to students, yet too short to actually have any meaningful impact on us.

We doubt this view comes as a shock to any student at Wayland High. We have gym class, on average, a little over once a week. These classes are further undermined by splitting time into health classes and exercise. Moreover, these classes happen only for one half of the year for some grades. We can speak from experience, but it should also be evident with common sense: nothing can be accomplished in this short a time period.

Principal Patrick Tutwiler thinks that the lack of attention paid to physical education sends an implicit negative message to students. “From a structural stand point, it’s a pass/fail class, so people don’t take it seriously,” he said. “I think the message that is abundantly clear to students is that the school doesn’t necessarily value this department and what it provides, and so why should they take it seriously?”

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The primary reason he gave for the inadequacy of physical education was the lack of staff and the resulting brevity of the class. “I’d like to see four or five full time wellness teachers. If you have more faculty, the class can meet more times in the cycle and it does need to meet more times,” Tutwiler said.

Wayland’s physical education curriculum hasn’t always been so limited. According to Ms. Martha Jamieson, P.E. used to be a daily requirement. However, the quality has degenerated over time because it is relatively easy to cut compared to core academics.

It is a good idea to have mandatory physical activity in schools. There is a growing obesity epidemic, and an inactive lifestyle is unhealthy. Lack of exercise is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and asthma. The government should try to instill healthy habits of exercise on the youth as much as possible.

However, if gym is limited to a few hour-long blocks a month, what can really be accomplished? According to the Department of Agriculture, most people need about an hour of exercise a day to stay healthy. What is the point of physical education if it is just a drop in the bucket?