The test was conducted in U.S. public schools for decades until it was retired by the Obama administration. Here’s what to know about it and why Trump wants it back.
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the presidential fitness test, a hallmark of American physical education programs for more than half a century — and the bane of more than a few childhoods — will be making a comeback in public schools.
The assessment was retired and replaced by a fitness program under the Obama administration.
Here’s what to know about the test, why Trump is restoring it and whether it is likely to achieve his goals.
The presidential fitness test was initiated in the 1950s by a council established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower that was directed to improve the physical fitness of American youths, in response to fears they were falling behind their European counterparts when it came to athleticism.
