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March 28, 2024, 11:46:00 pm

Author Topic: Should the beep test be compulsory?  (Read 3169 times)  Share 

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caffinatedloz

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Should the beep test be compulsory?
« on: July 06, 2019, 08:42:02 am »
+8
For the lucky ones of you who do not know what the beep test is, it is a multi-stage fitness test that tests cardiovascular fitness by forcing people to run in 20m increments each time they hear a beep. The beeps get progressively closer together as the participants get more exhausted. As for the aim-- that I'm not really sure. Other than used for torture purposes? Perhaps for the amusement of teachers?

At our school, every student must complete the beep test at the start of every term. This is compulsory (unless you have a medical certificate). I am not joking when I say they made a girl on crutches do it as she didn't have a note saying she couldn't. A friend of mine had an asthma attack, and they told her she wasn't allowed to drop out as she hadn't reached the minimum requirement. Having an asthma attack then caused her to have a panic attack, and the teacher still ignored her distress and told her to keep going. The teacher running it last term told me I must run on my swollen ankle, and then told me I couldn't have an icepack as they are "too expensive". I have seen far too many people run on injuries because they know that the teachers will accuse them of faking or tell them to run anyway.

I can see the merits of such a test and the way they encourage physical activity, but surely there are better ways that don't stress people out or cause them to further injure themselves. I mean playing a sport or a game is a much more fun way of exercising that causes much less stress.

To make the beep test worst, we are graded on our performance, and if we do not achieve above a minimum requirement it goes down on our report as a fail, which impacts the subjects we are able to choose in the following year.

I do not believe that the beep test should be compulsory or graded.

K888

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Re: Should the beep test be compulsory?
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2019, 01:45:12 pm »
+7
Out of interest, do you study at a sports high school?

I think I did the beep test maybe twice in my whole 6 years at high school and it was just during PE when we were learning about fitness I think. Seems a bit silly to me that your performance on one test should have such a big impact, and if teachers are forcing you to do them with injuries or medical conditions that seems negligent to me, especially if as a result of doing the beep test a person hurts themselves further or suffers a medical episode.

caffinatedloz

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Re: Should the beep test be compulsory?
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2019, 01:52:23 pm »
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No, I don't. It's a normal high school but we do have quite a large extracurricular sports program. Our PE staff are really intense though ::)

Sine

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Re: Should the beep test be compulsory?
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2019, 02:24:09 pm »
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What is the minimum required to "Pass"?

Aaron

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Re: Should the beep test be compulsory?
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2019, 02:32:39 pm »
+5
I can see the merit in assessing it once (twice at most to see growth from point A to B) but minimum pass marks for something where every student has a different capacity/level is just absolutely ridiculous. If your school does not focus on growth rather than the assumption that all students can achieve the same benchmarks and are all identical, then they are behind in the times and need to review their pedagogy and assessment practices.

I hated the beep test as a student. As OP mentioned, if they "fail" then it could potentially impact other subjects. This is wrong in itself because it punishes those that are not athletic/physical.
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Professor Polonsky

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Re: Should the beep test be compulsory?
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2019, 03:18:22 pm »
+4
I don't mind regularly assessing the beep test. Setting a "minimum standard" is bullshit though (for the reasons Aaron gave above). Teachers also have a duty of care towards students, and aggravating injuries is definitely not the right way to go about anything.

What a teacher says is never more important than your own health. Refuse to do it, cop the detention, your parents will be notified, they can escalate it with your principal.

pugs

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Re: Should the beep test be compulsory?
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2019, 03:36:15 pm »
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i agree with you there, it defs should not be compulsory!

i reckon that implementing the beep test as a measure of a student's fitness time to time wouldn't be a bad idea. however, it definitely should not be used as a grade or something that may affect their academic education. i get that students should try to stay healthy (if possible) throughout high school, but to have the beep test potentially inflict stress upon students because there is weight laid on it isn't right

nowadays, i feel like (some) schools place waaay too much weight on physical education (recreational p.e → not the subject). for example, our school is giving detentions if people come to p.e without the correct uniform (even if we're wearing school issued clothing that isn't specifically p.e clothes). i find this so dumb bc there are people who skip p.e and they don't receive a detention, yet people who turn up get one if they are missing just one piece of clothing .. plus, we are just attending p.e to get fitter and such a big deal is made out of it :/
vv srry for my rant!! but i completely agree with you


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