School Considers Streaming Exercise Videos Into Classrooms

School Considers Streaming Exercise Videos Into Classrooms

A school is considering streaming exercise videos directly into classrooms to improve children's health and fitness.

Councillors in Blackpool say that web-based salsa and street dance lessons could be made available in a bid to improve children's well-being in school.

The Blackpool Gazette reports that the idea is in response to recommendations made by Northumbria University in a study into free breakfast and milk schemes offered in the Blackpool area. Local education bosses are said to want to further support schools' healthy living schemes by encouraging children to be active throughout the day.

Blackpool Council leader Simon Blackburn told the paper that the classroom exercise idea was under consideration.

"We will be considering a proposal to introduce online exercise programme 'Cyber Coach Smart' into all primary school classrooms," he said. "This programme has been developed specifically for use in primary classes, allowing teachers to stream exercise routines onto whiteboards via the internet, and averting the need for specialist coaching, training or hugely expensive sporting facilities."

He added that alongside ensuring children had a 'healthy and nutritious breakfast each day' at school, the exercise regime will give pupils 'a much better chance at succeeding in education and in life'.

Teachers can select routines for their students from an array of activities, including Bollywood dancing, cheer-leading and salsa.

All the classes are streamed via the web directly onto the school's interactive classroom whiteboards.

Documentation sent to councillors about the program said that teachers can 'log on independently in their classroom and select a routine suitable for the age and activity of their children'.

Parents and kids can also access the keep fit system at home.

Opponents of the plan said that children should be encouraged to play and keep fit outside – not by staring at a screen.

"We should be encouraging our children to take exercise in the fresh air whenever possible and it should be team driven to encourage competitiveness which leads to achievement, not asking them to jump around to keep fit videos," Conservative group leader Tony Williams told the Blackpool Gazette, adding that the money would be better spent investing in traditional sports equipment.

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