No one should be required to take a college PE class; however, since the government will probably declare a "war on obesity" and tie it in with health insurance (I wouldn't be too surprised if BIG PHARMA has an anti-obesity drug that the schools will administer along with their Ritalin), there should be exemptions for the physically fit. If you pass some simple objective tests, then you're exempt from PE. However, I would include a swimming test as part of the exam. I believe that people should at least know how to float or dog-paddle. Bottom line is that some people just don't want to move their butts. Personally, I believe that walking, yoga, gardening, bowling, or whatever activity someone enjoys is enough for most people to maintain some level of physical fitness.
Why? Why shouldn't a basic PE class be part of an undergraduate's curriculum. Typically you have to take at least one course in math, physics, chemistry, biology, english, history, etc, why not PE? A well rounded education does not end at your brain. Universities ARE NOT vocational schools. You are not there to learn a trade, you are there to become a well rounded individual, yes you learn things that you use later on (sometimes), but it is so much more than that. You are there to also try new things, to discover things that you might not have even known you were interested in.
Also, a PE requirement could be satisfied by something other than what many think of "P.E.". It could be satisfied by a dance class, it could be satisfied by a weight training class, a yoga class, a health class, a martial arts class. Universities tend to have a wide range of physical activity classes available.
Finally, you know the required curriculum going into the university you apply to. No one is "making" you take these courses. You know this is what you have to do to graduate when you apply to this college. I work at a university with six colleges. Each college has different requirements for graduation, and a different set of undergraduate course work you have to satisfy to get that diploma. Applicants to the university pick which college they want to go to based on which set of undergrad requirements they want to have to go through, and yes, some are a lot more rigorous than others.
