One of the most fiercely debated topics in school history... At least in my opinion. PE. Physical Education. A subject that is compulsory in almost all schools in the UK until 16. Many have debated the importance of such a subject especially when Year 10 and 11 roll around and GCSE preparation becomes more serious. Is it necessary to have 2 or more lessons per fortnight when there could be better use of the time? Why not study our other GCSE subjects? That would be useful.

However, the UK government don’t see it this way. With high obesity rates and many teenagers being culprits of too many chicken and chip shop visits, the government believe that having compulsory PE lessons may help bring these statistics down. They made it compulsory to ensure that children are physically fit from a young age in order to prevent future health issues such as heart disease, diabetes etc. Some find compulsory PE lessons useful whilst others don’t.

I went to many students around ICHS, to find out their opinion on this issue. Moazzan Imran, a student in Year 10, believes that compulsory PE lessons are a good thing. “Without PE, I would probably do no exercise and wouldn’t be interested in Sports. It encourages me to actively take part in sports outside as school as well. And of course, stay fit.” Another student Monish Shastri had a verdict to similar to that of Moazzan’s. “PE is definitely important as it’s a way to stay fit.” So, it seems that in Ilford County many students believe that PE is an essential subject as it allows them to stay fit and get engaged in sports. What do you think? Should PE be compulsory or is it a trivial activity that should be chosen by students?

Personally, I think that it’s a good thing that PE is compulsory in schools, however not all students will carry this on in their adulthood. So is there any point in making a child do physical education until the age of 16, only for them to stop once they reach adulthood? That’s your decision to make.