China embarks on PE reform to tackle deteriorating student health

By Li Lei in Lanzhou Source:Global Times Published: 2019/5/29 18:48:40

Students' physical quality has dropped year by year while cases of obesity and myopia continue to increase

New physical education curriculums under a reform scheme aim to make exercise more fun

○ Western sports and traditional Chinese folk activities can be selected by students as their daily physical education class

Students at a primary school in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province, show off their volleyball skills on May 16 at a gathering demonstrating the results of the national physical education reform. Photo: Li Lei/GT



A group of elementary school students play golf on the grassy area of a playground, while another group of boys next to them perform a dragon dance. This kind of "mashup" of Western sports and Chinese traditional folk activities in elementary schools in Chengguan district of Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province, is not an uncommon sight. 

Elementary and secondary schools in the district are currently undergoing reforms of their physical education programs initiated by the national school physical education leagues, which was established in December of 2013 under the guidance of the Chinese Ministry of Education for education reform.

Under the physical education curriculum, students are allowed to select sports based on their physical condition and interests, and students in the same class are allowed to attend different sports.



Declining quality


Professor Mao Zhenming, director of the school leagues, told the Global Times that the leagues aims to replace dreary traditional physical education classes on campus with classes that feature new form and content, thereby improving the quality and effectiveness of physical education at school.

At the same time, the reform scheme is designed to help students have more fun, improve their health, and cultivate a wholesome personality and strong will during physical exercise, said Mao.

"Due to concerns over the declining physical condition of students, the school embarked on a reform of physical education," Zhao Yongzhong, headmaster of Gengjiazhuang Primary School of Chengguan district, said in his report at a seminar on physical education reform on May 18.

In 2014, the physical fitness test results of the students in Gengjiazhuang Primary School averaged 71.64. The number then dropped to 68.89 in 2015, and was as low as 65 in 2016, according to Zhao.

"The physical condition of students is deteriorating, while cases of obesity and being overweight are rising year by year, and their flexibility, lung capacity, speed, stamina and strength keep decreasing," said Zhao.

Zhao believes that the declining physical quality of students comes from unhealthy living habits and ineffective traditional physical education.

"Influenced by traditional 'exam-oriented' education, schools tend to place little importance on physical education," said Zhao, adding that "students who excel in sports are rare in school nowadays."

Another of the leagues's goals is to find sports suitable for each student based on their physical qualities and interests. 

Mao said that he was asked by many parents why a student can still be weak in sports after attending physical education class at school for 12 years. 

"The main problem is that most students only dip into physical education class," Mao explained. 

"Unlike basic knowledge, as long as a student masters the skill and does well in a single sport he or she is interested in, the students can be deemed excellent in physical education," said Mao.

Under the current reform scheme, schools focus on developing three to five events. Nanhe Primary school selected basketball for the junior grades.

"Every first-grade student has their own basketball, and they start with dribbling during class breaks to mastering basic basketball skills through finding the feeling of controlling the ball," Zhu Lili, a teacher at Nanhe Primary school, told the Global Times.

"The joy and thrill that appear on the faces of the first-grade students is really infectious," Zhu said.

"Compared with traditional physical education classes, which usually require students to run 400 meters or 800 meters, the new sports are easier and more attractive to students as they like exercising during games," Zhu said. "Now my students can do splits easily."

Chengguan district was incorporated into the leagues in July 2017 becoming the first pilot zone in northwestern China for physical education reform. As of May 2019, 90 schools in the district had joined the leagues and adopted its physical education curriculum.

Getting results

The leagues has established 34 pilot zones in 31 provincial-level administrations, covering more than 3,000 schools.

In a gathering that showcased the results of the reform in Chengguan district from May 16 to 18, more than 20,000 students demonstrated various non-traditional activities, including roller skating, martial arts, Taiji, golf, and American football.

 "Now, students look forward to attending physical education class, and the results of the students' physical quality test have improved," Zhao said.

"Since martial arts were introduced to the school, both primary and secondary school students have become healthier and more outgoing," Li Hui, deputy principal of Dongzhan Primary School, said proudly.

Jin Yan, principal of Shuicheyuan Primary School said that after joining the leagues, the school has undergone a thorough change in terms of physical education. The school now attaches equal importance to both academic knowledge and physical education. Students exercise during class breaks, and parents can also participate.

"I am glad that they are healthier and happier than before. More importantly, these fun exercises help relieve the pressure from school, and they also learn teamwork and communication skills," Zhu told the Global Times.

Mao told the Global Times that sports help students understand society.

"Sports require teamwork and rules," said Mao, adding that "a person has to learn and play in accordance with the rules, and play with or compete against others in a sporting event, which requires communication."

Physical exercise also helps to enhance students' thinking ability. However, some parents fear that more time spent on physical exercise will result in a decline in grades. 

Mao reassured them with the example of an American football team in Daxuelu Experimental School in Xuzhou of East China's Jiangsu Province. 

A letter that Mao received reads, "After two months' training, 30 out of the 33 team members' scores had seen an obvious rise, two remained the same, and one suffered a slight decline. 

Playing American football didn't affect our study. Instead, it has been motivating us to make more efforts in our study."

New curriculum

The new curriculum includes 1,260 exercises, 200 class-break exercises and 30 new items, ranging from lion dance to American football.

Meng Xianyang, a physical education teacher at Nanhe Primary School, told the Global Times that the performances shown in the demonstration come from their daily physical education classes.

"For example, in the daily class, we would introduce the dragon dance to students through games," said Meng. 

"Teachers use a ball to play dragon ball and attract students to simulate the moves in a dragon dance, chasing the ball in various formations," Meng explained.

"National defense sports have also been introduced to primary schools, which help to enhance students' awareness of the importance of national defense," said Meng.

In the demonstration, students were divided into three teams. Members had to help each other walk on a slope, climb over a high wall, crawl 10 meters, and toss plastic grenades as far as possible.

Additionally, sports for special children were also a highlight in the demonstration. Special children are those who suffer from developmental or speech disorders. "Special children can also participate in sports events," said Meng.

In the demonstration, these children performed cheerleading routines with their teachers, and their faces were filled with joy.

"They trained for more than two years to keep their balance while riding bicycles and roller skating," Meng told the Global Times, adding, "but the two years' training paid off. They have become happier and more confident."

Mao told the Global Times that for the next step, the leagues will utilize big data and the internet to come up with more physical exercise combinations to build on the existing 200 combinations for students based on their physical conditions, genders and ages.
Newspaper headline: Let’s get physical


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