New State Law May Give Pass To Kids Who Want Out Of Phys Ed

gym archive
City of Boston Archives/Flickr
gym archive
City of Boston Archives/Flickr

New State Law May Give Pass To Kids Who Want Out Of Phys Ed

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Gym class: some kids love it; some would do anything to avoid it. 

But physical education has been a fact of life in Illinois schools for 60 years. In fact, the state long led the nation by requiring gym five days a week. Last year, a new law scaled back that requirement to three days a week. And seventh graders and above who take part in sports programs could skip P.E. altogether. 

So, how much gym class should kids have each week? Morning Shift talks to WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout about how this law will shake out in schools. We also open the phones to hear from listeners about how important they find physical education for kids.