WINNIPEG – All high school students in Manitoba will be mandated to attend physical education classes as part of a new curriculum announced by the provincial government.
Phys-edand health are required subjects from Grades 1 to 12. However, toward the end of high school, in Grades 11 and 12, students can currently choose flexible or self-directed options to fulfill these requirements, tracking moderate to vigorous physical activity by filling out timesheets to show how they’re staying active.
But the government is now getting rid of this option, and is instead implementing a new policy called “Every Body, Every Day.”
The change will begin this school year in 25 different schools, which are taking part in this pilot project for the new curriculum. As part of the change, Grade 11 and 12 phys-ed courses will move toward 110 hours of in-person instruction.
Full implementation is expected provincewide by the 2027-2028 school year.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said when it comes to health, the province has been a leader in too many negative, highlighting Manitoba has one of the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes in Canada.
“By ensuring young people are exposed to this, we’re going to ensure the future generations of young people in Manitoba are going to be healthy, and they’re going to be happy,” he said.
“The challenge of trying to parent in the age of YouTube, trying to ensure the kids participate – and not just do the sports that they’re signed up for – but find time each day to get outside and to move and to be healthy is super important.”
The curriculum, which is being updated for the first time in 25 years, will also teach students about mental health, the risks of social media, vaping, e-scooters, proper nutrition and basic cooking skills, so they can make healthier choices.
“This is all about getting every kid moving every day,” said Kinew. “We want kids in Manitoba to be healthy, confident, and happy as they learn and grow, and that starts at school.”
The province will also work with teachers to continue developing the new curriculum, and there will be accommodations for children who need them.
“The message of this curriculum is that physical activity and healthy living are for everyone,” said Tracy Schmidt, the province’s minister of education and early childhood learning.
“The curriculum helps kids find movement, (and) activities that make them happy and healthy.”
Manitoba is an outlier in Canada, as the vast majority of provinces and territories do not require students to participate in physical education every year.
“This new health and physical education curriculum is about helping every child move more, learn practical skills, and feel included no matter what their age, their ability, their background, or where they live,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, who is Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer.
“This new curriculum teaches children from a young age that the healthy habits they form today around exercise and nutrition will help them prevent illness later on in life.”
For 16-year-old Chelsea Cameron, who is entering her senior year at Calvin Christian School in Winnipeg, the change is a positive one.
Cameron enjoys being active and particularly likes playing basketball during gym class. She said she supports requiring students to participate in, in-person physical education.
“I think it’s a big deal,” she said. “I remember having those gym classes with my friends and I really enjoyed having those all the time.”
She believes more students will be held accountable.
“It shows you’re actually doing it, because maybe some people could lie and say, ‘oh I did them,’ and not actually do them.”
This announcement is just the latest move aimed at Manitoba youth.
Back in April, the province announced Canada’s first social media and AI chatbot ban for children under the age of 16. In 2024, cellphones were banned for all K-8 students in schools, while students Grades 9-12 cannot used cellphones during class.
Mallory Pledger says she is happy to see the province make this move.
“It’s our job as adults, who care for them, to be able to make those kinds of decisions for themselves that will help their development, that will help them be able to transition into adult life a little bit more successfully,” Pledger said, the director of programming at Winnipeg’s Inner City Youth Alive.
“We see them communicating, we see them problem solving, we see them innovating, and we see them developing healthy relationships among each other,” Pledger added. “We’re really happy to see this move forward and excited to see where it goes.”
