Fitness Plan Needs Careful Implementation, Elementary Teachers Say
October 6, 2005
Education Minister Gerard Kennedy has taken laudable first steps to improve the health of Ontario students, the president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said today.
“We applaud the emphasis on increasing physical activity and the funds earmarked to train teachers and provide resources,” said ETFO President Emily Noble.
“However we are anxious to see how the Minister’s plan will be implemented,” Noble said.
She pointed out that the program must be taught by qualified physical education teachers and that schools must have suitable facilities and appropriate equipment and resources.
“Also, if we are adding time for physical education other aspects of the existing curriculum will have to be modified,” Noble stated.
“Twenty minutes is a good start. But to really have an impact on fitness, and to set a pattern that will last their whole lives, children should have 40 minutes of activity each day,” she added.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 70,000 public elementary teachers and education workers across Ontario and is the largest teacher federation in Canada outside Quebec.