Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
Washington - President Donald Trump announced Thursday his intention to revive the Presidential Fitness Test for high school students, signaling a return to traditional physical fitness benchmarks first established in 1966 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. The decision, formalized through an executive order, would once again require students to complete a series of athletic challenges designed to measure strength, endurance, and flexibility, with high-performing students eligible for a Presidential Fitness Award.
While the Presidential Fitness Test was discontinued in 2012 in favor of a broader health-oriented approach, Trump’s directive is positioned as part of a broader campaign to reemphasize physical standards in public education, coinciding with several notable sporting events in the U.S. during his second term. The initiative is also seen as a nod to “traditional values” frequently cited by Trump and his supporters, particularly as he seeks to expand his influence on cultural and educational topics.
In addition to the fitness mandate, sources indicate that Trump will push for a return to gender-specific educational tracks: “shop” classes would be required for male students, while “home economics” would be compulsory for female students. This echoes educational practices more common in American schools throughout the mid-20th century, where vocational and domestic arts were divided along gender lines. Critics note that these proposals would mark a significant departure from contemporary educational norms, which have largely moved toward gender-neutral curricula and away from prescriptive gender roles in course selection.
Education experts and advocacy groups have quickly responded, calling the proposed mandates for shop and home economics classes “a regression in educational policy.” They argue that such preferences reinforce outdated gender stereotypes and fail to reflect the needs or aspirations of today’s students. Supporters, however, contend that hands-on skills in both shop and home economics have been undervalued and that their restoration could foster practical life competencies and workforce readiness.
The announcement comes amid broader conversations about the purpose of education and the role of government in shaping school programs. While the Presidential Fitness Test’s revival is confirmed through Thursday’s executive order, implementation details, especially regarding gender-specific class requirements, remain unclear, and are likely to become a heated topic of debate as school districts await further federal guidance.
Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
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