Yunnan debating radical change to junior high physical exam

"Who says that a P.E. teacher cannot be the chief teacher of a class?" P.E. teacher Deng Guohui said passionately at a public hearing in Yunnan Province. He is not the only one who holds this view.

The hearing centers on the possibility of increasing the importance of physical performance in China's senior high school entrance exam. As it is one of the most important exams for Chinese youth which may help decide their future, the hearing is carefully planned and comprises high school principals, P.E. teachers and parents of students.

With Chinese education placing heavy emphasis on science and technology, P.E. is frequently neglected, prompting some to raise concerns about the physical wellbeing of Chinese students.

"During recess, students would eat, sit, and chat, but no one would go for a run. There are more and more overweight and nearsighted students in the class," lamented Li Hongyan, principal of Fuyuanshengjing High School of Qujing City, Yunnan Province.

The existing format sees the physical exam count for 50 points and take place just once at the end of a student's three-year tenure in junior high. The planned amendment to the format in Yunnan would see the weighting doubled to 100 points with several exams to be taken over the three years, and other factors such as Body Mass Index and eyesight would also be considered.

Such a move would mirror initiatives from the highest levels of China's government. Last month, the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued guidelines on strengthening and improving physical education in schools in the new era. On August 31, China's General Administration of Sport and its Ministry of Education jointly announced plans to deepen the integration of sports and education to promote the healthy development of the country's youth.

Meanwhile, the rising public awareness towards students' physical health is also contributing to China's revolution in physical education. According to experts, two hours of outdoor exercise a day can effectively reduce myopia, and ultraviolet rays can promote dopamine secretion, thereby inhibiting the growth of the eye axis.

Education departments at provincial levels around China have been trying to find suitable ways to correspond to the initiative of President Xi and the government, and Yunnan is one of the pioneers.

However, such a potentially radical change to such an important exam has also prompted some to raise concerns.

"Will there be any mechanisms to prevent people in charge from committing irregularities?" said Li Yanyang, whose son is a junior high student in Yunnan.

Xu Zhongxiang, from Yunnan's Education Department, moved to allay such fears. "We will spare no efforts to make the test just and fair, and give the most severe punishments to those who dare to cross the red line. All comments and suggestions from the public will be carefully treated and examined."

And for P.E. teacher Deng, the ideal solution is a simple one. "There should be three kinds of voices in the school: the voice of reading books, the voice of singing songs and the voice of competing on the playground."