Audit: Dozens Of NYC Schools Fall Short Of State Physical Ed Requirements
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A new audit shows that many New York City schools do not meet a state requirement for physical education.
City Comptroller John Liu's office visited 31 elementary schools and found that none were in full compliance with state guidelines.
"The DOE has failed to give students the legally required amount of physical education and failed to follow its own recommendations for fighting high rates of childhood obesity," Comptroller Liu said. "The DOE is failing gym."
The audit also found that the city Department of Education hadn't filed physical education plans with the state since 1982. The state recommends that they be reviewed and updated every seven years.
The agency said it was working on a new plan. DOE spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said the comptroller's audit coincides with its ongoing efforts to improve the quality of physical education in schools.
The audit made three recommendations to the Department of Education. First, the DOE is recommended to create, implement, and regularly update a PE plan that meets state regulations for all schools. Second, the Department should adequately monitor school compliance with the state's PE requirements. Lastly, the DOE should ensure that principals are aware of the state's PE requirements and advise them that it is their responsibility that students receive the mandated amount of PE.
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