‘Every single child:’ Manitoba making in-person gym mandatory for high-schoolers

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is making it mandatory for students in grades 11 and 12 to take in-person gym class.

A pilot program is to start this fall that would see schools implement the change on a voluntary basis. About 25 schools have signed up so far.

The compulsory rollout of health curriculum changes for all schools would start in the 2027-28 school year.

“The message of this curriculum is that physical activity and healthy living are for everyone, for every single child,” Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said Thursday.

“The curriculum helps kids find movement activities that make them happy and healthy,” she said, “whether that be sports and weightlifting, whether that be yoga or walking, or many of the other creative solutions that we know that our (physical education) teachers are going to help our kids come up with.”

It’s the first time the physical health curriculum has been updated in 25 years.

Students in their last two years of high school currently have an option to complete their physical education requirement outside the classroom.

The curriculum change includes classwork to help students explore healthy eating habits, mental health impacts of social media and artificial intelligence, and risks associated with things like electric scooters and electric bikes.

Recently released data shows hospitalizations involving youth riding e-scooters is on the rise.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information said the number of children aged 15 and under hospitalized for e-scooter injuries almost tripled in the past year. Data shows 150 children required hospitalization, compared to 54 the previous year.

Premier Wab Kinew said he hopes the change will be a defining initiative of his NDP government’s tenure.

“When we talk about health in Manitoba, this is a category where unfortunately we’ve been the leader in too many negative areas — areas like the prevalence of juvenile diabetes, even child mortality,” he told reporters.

“But this curriculum is going to make Manitoba a leader across the country.

“We are going to have the highest standard for making sure that kids are active and it’s going to be complemented with teaching about nutrition, with teaching about the dangers and harms of screen time, with conversations about sleep.”

He said teachers would work with students and parents to make sure activities are inclusive for all, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities.

“We are going to change gym to work for you,” said Kinew.

Alyson Gysel, co-president of Physical Health Educators of Manitoba, said physical and health education goes beyond the gymnasium.

“It’s about giving young people the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to understand themselves, to care for their health and well-being, to build healthy relationships, find joy and confidence in movement, and inform the decisions that they make throughout their life.”

Teachers and parents will get an opportunity to provide feedback during the pilot, the government said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2026.

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press