Gymnasium Shutdown Disrupts Physical Education

As late January, students at Manzoni Elementary have been without access to their gymnasium, significantly impacting their physical education curriculum. This disruption followed a safety inspection by firefighters, which revealed issues with the gym’s thermal power plant, leading to its immediate closure. the situation has not onyl affected the students but also local sports clubs who utilized the facility during evening hours. While the municipality offered option locations, manny clubs opted for other solutions, highlighting the gym’s importance to the community.

Concerns Raised Over Students’ Right to Physical Activity

Simone Villa, a councilor from the League party, voiced concerns about the extended closure during a recent council meeting, questioning when students could expect to resume their physical education. Villa emphasized that the guarantee of the right to study also includes the time of physical education, a right currently being denied to the students. He urged officials to provide a concrete timeline for the gym’s reopening, suggesting the situation could persist until the end of the academic year.

“Provided that children will not be able to do physical activity? … The guarantee of the right to study also includes the time of physical education which, however, has not been offered from January. Give us at least one date on when our children will be able to return to use the gym.”

simone Villa, Councilor, league Party

The absence of regular physical activity can have detrimental effects on children’s health and development. According to a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO), children and adolescents aged 5-17 should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily to maintain overall health.

Government Response and Future Plans

Marco Lamperti, the Councilor for Public Works, addressed the concerns, explaining that adjustments to safety regulations, initially due by December 31, 2024, have been extended to December 31, 2027, due to the milleproroghe provision. Lamperti stated that the school has been informed and activities could theoretically resume. He also announced that works for adaptation will start shortly, with a budget of €215,000 allocated for the project.

“We have already informed the school… thus, theoretically, in the gym you can return to do activities. Meanwhile, the works will start shortly for the adaptation, allocated 215 thousand euros.”

Marco lamperti,Councilor for Public Works

While the proclamation of allocated funds is a positive step,the community remains concerned about the timeline for completion and the immediate impact on students’ well-being. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing infrastructure maintenance with the needs of educational institutions and the importance of prioritizing children’s health and access to physical education.