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Policymakers in Virginia, a state with one of the largest Salvadorean populations in the U.S., have proposed legislation that would require all K-5th grade schools to offer students at least 20 minutes of daily physical activity.
If passed the new law would make physical activity a priority for students in the state of Virginia, by ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate in activities such as PE, recess, and extracurricular activities on a day to day basis.
According to a Newsplex.com report, Senator John Miller of Newport News, who introduced the bill into the Senate said: “Requiring 20 minutes of physical activity every day a child is in school is the right thing to do and it will not require additional funding…”
The importance making physical activity a priority for students cannot be understated, especially for Latino students who often have fewer opportunities to be active throughout the day.
“The earlier you start it, the longer it lasts,” Curtis Cherebin, physical education
teacher at Jackson Via Elementary School said in an interview with Newsplex.com. “If we can get these kids started at five, six, seven years old knowing how important physical activity is for their future, for their brain, for school; it will last a lifetime.”
If enacted the new law would take effect during 2017-2018. Read more about this here.
To learn more about the importance of providing Latino children with opportunities for high quality physical education and physical activity, check out Salud America’s Active Play resources here.
By The Numbers
84
percent
of Latino parents support public funding for afterschool programs
