Is the Daily Physical Activity program as good as it sounds? This is a question that we, the students, are asking.

By: Betty Xie

When students opened their new agendas in September, they received a big surprise – the Daily Physical Activity (DPA) program. This newly established program demands students from kindergarten to Grade 9 to exercise 30 minutes per day and for those from Grade 10 to Grade 12, 150 minutes per week in order to graduate. With P.E. classes every day for those up to grade 10 DPA does not seem to be a problem. However, for senior students where P.E. is optional, this program has certainly brought controversy.

A recent survey in Richmond high schools collected a wide variety of opinions and comments about DPA. The students who enjoy exercise said that it didn’t matter, while students who disliked exercise talked about how this is just one more thing they are forced to do. One Grade 11 student from Richmond Secondary School questioned the effect of DPA – “Before, the government encouraged us to exercise, now the government is imposing, if not, controlling our physical life on a daily basis.” For senior students who have heavy course loads, the difference between 80 hours in two years and 150 minutes a week of physical activity matters a lot. Some students, despite their fondness for exercising, talked about feeling pressured under this program, while others asked if it was really necessary. One student asked:  “I heard even playing piano could be counted as DPA. So what’s the point?”

The survey included a conversation with Mrs. Ferguson, one of the counselors in Richmond Secondary. Mrs. Ferguson agreed that the program is new and has room to improve and be more focussed on its goals. When asked about the purpose of the program, Mrs. Ferguson said, “I think the purpose of DPA is to encourage students to relax from their academic pressures. Therefore, any activity supporting this purpose can be counted.”

Relax, or more pressure for students? No matter what, DPA seems to have a lot of room for improvement in order to reach its goals.

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