Prague, Dec 8 (CTK) – Up to one-quarter of Czech school children are absent from physical education since they submit a written apology though they often have no serious reasons for it, daily Pravo writes yesterday, citing Pavel Suchanek, from the Institute of Nutrition and Diet.
He refers to surveys, some of which have been carried out under the aegis of the General Health Insurance Company (VZP).
More and more children do not practice any physical exercises and they prefer spending their free time with a computer and their parents do not mind it. The number of overweight and obese children and of the children´s accidents has been rising, Pravo writes.
“The children who are not used to exercising do not perceive it as pleasant and physical education is very stressful to them,” Suchanek said.
Some children therefore apologise from PE because of allergies, flat feet and even overweight.
Yet exactly obesity of children is a serious problem in the Czech Republic that has been ranked among the worst European countries in this respect, Pravo writes.
However, not only overweight and bad diet of Czech children are alarming, but also their worsening motor skills, it says.
Physical education teachers complain that they have to lower their demands due to the children´s physical condition. Other teachers point out that the number of children´s accidents at school has been rising, too.
The Czech School Inspection registered 38,710 accidents of school children, one of which was fatal in the past school year, which was 7,269 more than the year before, Pravo writes.
The bad physical condition of the young generation is reflected, for instance, in the recruitment of volunteers for the military. A high number of them do not pass physical tests and must repeat them, even several times, and one in ten applicants is not sufficiently able-bodied, Pravo adds.
Sport coaches have also complained about the kids´ decreasing interest in sports.
Yet research studies have confirmed that physical exercises have a positive effect on intellectual activities, Pravo notes.
As many families do not have time and often money either for sports and many public sports grounds were cancelled and built up, it seems that it is up to school alone to attract children to sport, which politicians realise as well.
They have planned for years to introduce the third obligatory lesson of physical education a week at schools. The Education Ministry started to test this project in practise at selected schools this year, Pravo writes.
Suchanek appreciates this effort, but he points out that it is too late to encourage children to practice sports at school and that they should start with it at the age of four at least, Pravo writes.
hol/t/pv
