Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
What happened
The White House Thursday said it will reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test, first introduced in 1966 to promote physical health among public elementary school students. The Obama administration phased out the test in 2012, replacing it with a Presidential Youth Fitness Program focused more on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks, among other wellness initiatives. Trump also named a number of allied professional athletes to what he called his "revitalized" President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
Who said what
The president "wants to ensure America's future generations are strong, healthy and successful," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump is an "avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports," building most of his weekends around golfing or "attending sporting events," The Associated Press said. He has also "used his bully pulpit to reshape cultural issues," CNN said, "many of which have been tied directly to sports."
The revival of the longtime public school rite of passage drew mixed responses from experts and people who spent their "childhood struggling to do chin-ups or groaning over a sit-and-reach box in gym class," The New York Times said. There's agreement that "children need to move more," but some cautioned that pitting mismatched students against each other risks "turning some children off exercise altogether."
What next?
Trump's presidential fitness council will be empowered to "create school programs rewarding excellence in physical education" and "develop criteria for a fitness award," Axios said.
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