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Help Keep Physical Education in Schools!

The Sporting Good Manufacturers Association is asking for help in supporting the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) for the 2012-2013 school year, which provides for physical education programs in schools.

Although earlier this year the U.S. Senate Appropriations committee recommended funding the $78 million PEP program, House Republicans and the President are now trying to “cut PEP off at the knees,” says SGMA. The House proposed eliminating PEP funds and the Department of Education wants to consolidate PEP with counseling programs and let states decide how to allocate the consolidated funds.

“Congress needs to understand that PEP is not dodgeball, and generic physical activity is no substitute for quality physical education,” SGMA said in a statement.

“The quality physical education provided with the PEP grant is critical to the physical well-being, academic achievement and social development of young people. Without dedicated PE funding, schools will not have the resources necessary to train teachers and purchase equipment needed for quality PE,” said Bill Sells, SGMA’s vice president of government relations.

Introduced in 2001 by SGMA and PE4life, PEP has provided more than $700 million in physical education funding to schools and community-based organizations to implement and expand quality physical education programs for students in grades K-12. PEP results are showing that access to quality P.E. can teach children valuable lifelong Health-through-Fitness lessons and habits, and can help save lives.

Posted on October 25, 2011
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