Do you believe that physical exercise should be
a mandatory part of the school education, or should schools concentrate solely
on academic subjects?
☆Let’s Think
1.
What is the purpose of
education?
2.
Is physical exercise a required
activity in your school? Why do you think it is or why not?
3.
Are there any other benefits in making
physical exercise mandatory than what Alice mentioned?
4.
What is Bob’s point? Do you
agree?
☆Hints
for points
The purpose of education
・To promote physical, mental, and social
development of individuals.
・To develop every individual to their full
potential.
・To equip individuals with earning ability.
The purposes and benefits of physical education
・Healthy mind and body: Moderate exercise can
not only promote physical fitness and develop motor skills but also help
students better concentrate on their study.
・Healthy lifestyle: Students who are not
interested in sports can learn to stay in shape and maintain a healthy
lifestyle into adulthood.
・Familiarity with popular sports: Hands-on
experiences with popular sports help students enjoy playing or watching them.
・Intimacy with classmates and social skills:
Playing sports or doing exercise together helps students relate to each other
and develop social skills.
Counterargument
・Physical
exercise is available outside of school while academic subjects are not, so
time should be spent on the latter and the former should be an elective.
☆Sample
Responses
Sample 1
【Thesis】I think
P.E. should be mandatory because it fulfills the purpose of education: to
promote physical, mental, and social development of individuals.
【Supporting Details】For
example, playing basketball develops physical fitness, heightens alertness,
and promotes friendship and team work. P.E. also allows students to relax as
Alice mentions. I’m sure everybody remembers the refreshed feeling after moving
their body in a P.E. class between academic classes. Studies find that exercise
even raises learning ability and memory.
【Counterargument-treatment】Although
I understand Bob’s concern about losing precious time for academic studies by
allocating not a few school hours for workout and sports, but it could be a
little narrow-sighted in light of the purpose of education. It is not just
academic performance but also well-rounded personality and physical fitness
that make one’s life fulfilling, which is what education is all about.
【Conclusion】Thus, I believe P.E. should be a
requirement. (144
words)
Sample 2
【Supporting Details】Awareness of physical fitness has become prevalent,
and there are enough opportunities to exercise outside of school, affordable
means and facilities for health being available. Also, it is questionable if
sports are indispensable for the health. Doing household work or walking a long
distance, for example, has the same positive effects on the body and mind.
【Counterargument-treatment】Of course, benefit from physical exercise at
school cannot be denied. However, it won’t get a unanimous support as some
people don’t like sports or doing exercise. Actually, P.E. classes mean nothing
but a torture to them. Those who have to observe P.E. classes due to frailty,
injury, or disease even have to endure the feeling of seclusion. In the end,
physical exercise is one of the practical subjects like music and art, which
are elective in high school.
【Conclusion】Therefore, I think physical
exercise should be treated as such at least in high school.
(169 words)
Write your
response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or
suggestions to each other’s response.
DRAFT
