Physical fitness to gain more importance in schools

Every five years, China conducts sample physical fitness checks on teenagers, across schools in different provinces. The checks take the form of physical tests. A new round of such checks are being conducted this year. But this time round, the checks are even more significant, as there are plans to include physical fitness test results in the entrance exams for colleges. But how this could signal a change in the exam oriented culture of education.

13-year-old is a middle school student in North-east China's Jilin province. Being overweight, doing pull-ups is impossible for him. As a result, he scored "zero" in the test.

"I started to gain weight since the age of seven. My parents cook for me every day, and I don't exercise." Xiao Lin said.

Students' height, weight, lung capacity and performance in 50 meter and 100 meter races are measured as part of the physical tests. They are also graded for sit-ups and pull-ups. For male students five pull-ups are the qualifying mark in the pull-up test. Both Xiaolin and Xiaoyu scored zero in the test. But they were given fitness advice to improve their grades.

"My teacher asked me to do aerobic exercises, jogging and body building exercises." Xiao Lin said.

"My upper body strength is poor, so I was advised to do some heavy lifting and work on the parallel bars." Xiao Yu said.

In the recent past, besides offering targeted exercise advice, the Jilin provincial government has also been arranging for nutrition advisers for every school, who offer tailor made solutions for students to improve their physical health. But officials say, plans are afoot to include the results of the physical test score in the high school and college entrance examinations.

"We will only increase, and never decrease the value of physical fitness in the high school and college entrance exams. So every student and parent can recognize that physical education is equally, if not more important than academic courses." Wang Dengfeng, director general of Sports Health & Art Education Division, Ministry Of Education, said.

According to Wang, the reform measures for high school and college entrance exams will be released later this year. Physical education is one of the highlights of the reform.