US Schools and health

[ydoaPs]

We all know that the children are the future. Literally, they will one day be in charge of the government. If America continues its current path, it will be ruled by obese morons. The education standards are ridiculous(you don't even have to complete Algebra 1 to graduate High School). We still have people trying to get Creationism into the schools. Why is America's school system so lacking in comparison to those of most of the other developed world?

 

America's children are becoming fatter and fatter and the schools are doing nothing to help. In fact, they are a big part of the problem. The government provides school lunches that they pretend are nutritious, but are in reality nowhere close. There are soda machines and junk food machines throughout school buildings. There is even geedunk in the lunch line. They hang posters of the food pyramid and the more confusing new version, but they don't provide healthy food. If this school can have healthy school lunches for about the same price as the federal school lunch program, why can't the federal school lunch program be healthy?

 

Physical fitness programs are a joke. PE classes consist of playing games. There was an elective in my school that was close to what I think the standard PE class should be. On Monday and Wednesday, we went to the weight room and had a schedule that changed each week. We would do so many reps of such a percent of our max weight in that exercise and then different sets of different reps of different percents. On Tuesday, we ran. We would do different sets of laps. There were 2 in 80s, 2 in 60s and 3 in 90s. If you didn't make it(2 laps in 80 seconds, 2 laps in 60 seconds, and 3 laps in 90 seconds respectively), then you had to do push-ups. As time goes on, we do less 2 in 80s and more 3 in 90s. On Thursdays, we ladders, boxes, and sprints. On Friday, we would do relay races and obstacle courses. If we did good, we would be rewarded by playing a game(usually kickball or dodge ball) and the losers had to do push ups. Every four weeks we had a fitness test(line touches on the basketball courts, boxes, 40 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, standing long jump, vertical jump, and various weight training exercises). We were graded on our effort in the class and our improvement in the tests.

 

Why are our standards so low? Why isn't this one of the biggest political issues? Shouldn't we be doing something about this?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Erm, what school system have you been in? Every district I have seen requires at least three years of math (not just Algebra 1).

 

Also note that while the food looks unhealthy, it's actually quite different than the stuff that looks the same they sell at Wal-Mart. They stuff enriched flour and all sorts of "nutritious" stuff into it and make it to all sorts of wacky government standards.

 

You can't judge the food by how it looks.

[iNow]

In the thread linked below, ParanoiA suggests it has to do with the monopolized union and lack of competition. I tend to agree that this plays a major role.

 

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28259

 

Stupid in America

[ydoaPs]

Erm, what school system have you been in?

Actually, one of the schools I attended was on Oprah. I was on the show for 30 or so seconds.

 

Every district I have seen requires at least three years of math (not just Algebra 1).

Three years of math does not necessarily go past Algebra 1. And that was just one example. Any way you cut it, the standards are too low.

 

Also note that while the food looks unhealthy, it's actually quite different than the stuff that looks the same they sell at Wal-Mart. They stuff enriched flour and all sorts of "nutritious" stuff into it and make it to all sorts of wacky government standards.

Yes, the greasy food and candy is all kinds of healthy.

[Pangloss]

We all know that the children are the future. Literally, they will one day be in charge of the government.

 

For the record, I am opposed to a constitutional amendment to lower the age requirement for the office of President of the United States.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Three years of math does not necessarily go past Algebra 1. And that was just one example. Any way you cut it, the standards are too low.

Well, that's true, but the problem is not with how many classes students are required to take. It's with how much they learn in them.

 

Yes, the greasy food and candy is all kinds of healthy.

It's at least somewhat better than it looks.

[ydoaPs]

Well, that's true, but the problem is not with how many classes students are required to take. It's with how much they learn in them.

 

 

It's at least somewhat better than it looks.

And it is still a problem. FFS, look at Miss Teen South Carolina.

 

What needs to be done?

[ParanoiA]

I think another possible problem is too much time on their hands. I think we over estimate the amount of children's playtime as necessary. I don't see why we can't squeeze the 12 yr curriculum down to 8 years so high school graduation is around 14 years of age. This should keep them in school a bit longer on a daily basis. Perhaps this would deflate the disaster of teen pregnancy too, when college years are compromised rather than basic high school.

 

I would think this would motivate more college attendance and make it easier on us parents trying to afford to pay for college - yet kick the varmits out before their twenties. Maybe then miss teen USA would at least be a college attendee, if not a graduate...

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

You could only do that if students didn't have so many extracurricular activities packed in. It's not uncommon to hear people say they get home at 9PM every night.