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Poll: More men than women have positive memories of phys. ed.

Whether it's something you looked forward to or dreaded at the time, whether memories of it send you in adult life to a soccer field or a therapist, everybody seems to have an opinion about physical education class
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Ernie Checkeris Public School students Wyatt Sigurdson, left, Grace Kilby and Rebecca Slywchuk engage in daily physical activity. Ernie Checkeris Public School has received a national award from Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) for its quality physical education program. Supplied photo.

Whether it's something you looked forward to or dreaded at the time, whether memories of it send you in adult life to a gym or a therapist, everybody seems to have an opinion about physical education class, even decades after the original experience.

About two-thirds of readers look back on the experience of phys. ed. class as positive:

In a significant gender divide, though, more women than men said they saw the experience negatively, on balance:

Age makes no significant difference:

Perhaps not surprisingly, there's a correlation between positive association with phys. ed. back in the day and being a sports fan now, and vice-versa:

People educated in the separate school system are more likely to have negative memories of phys. ed. class:

Across several poll cross-references, there is a clear association between positive memories of phys. ed. and conservative or right-of-centre political views:


Patrick Cain

About the Author: Patrick Cain

Patrick is an online writer and editor in Toronto, focused mostly on data, FOI, maps and visualizations. He has won some awards, been a beat reporter covering digital privacy and cannabis, and started an FOI case that ended in the Supreme Court
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