**Sports Enriching School Life: A Focus on Youth Athletics**
This semester, students in Beijing were pleasantly surprised to learn that their recess time has been extended from 10 to 15 minutes. This additional break allows for a more relaxed approach to activities, encouraging more children to step outside the classroom and engage in physical sports.
Given that young people spend a substantial amount of their time at school, it serves as a crucial environment for developing athletic habits and improving physical fitness. The methods of conducting physical education classes, organizing sports groups, and holding school competitions have become focal points in recent reform efforts in sports education across the country.
The Ministry of Education has consistently emphasized the need to ensure sufficient physical education class hours and included compliance with physical education requirements in its supervision and assessment criteria. In Shenzhen, beginning this spring semester, all 779 public schools have implemented a policy of one physical education class per day, along with a mandate for at least 30 minutes of physical activity during a large break, ensuring that students engage in physical exercise for a total of one hour each school day.
However, it is not just about the quantity of physical education but also the quality. Wu Jian, director of the Sports and Aesthetic Education Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, noted, “The teaching methods and assessment strategies in physical education can still be improved. We need to consider students’ physical and mental development, incorporating fun elements through games, competitions, and thematic or situational teaching to ignite their interest and establish habits.”
An increasing number of schools are blending the content of physical education classes with larger breaks, sports groups, and extracurricular activities. “Physical education should ensure that students master at least one sports skill,” stated Chen Weizhi, chairman of the Shanghai New Era Education Group. He cited Zhejiang’s Pingyang New Era School, where each grade focuses on a specific sport. Through physical education classes, practice during breaks, and weekend competitions, students are encouraged to “learn, practice, and compete regularly.”
Innovating the types of school sports activities not only enriches students’ school life but also heightens their interest in sports. The Xiejiawan School in Chongqing has established over 70 sports clubs, allowing students to choose their activities after school. In Jiangxi’s Chongyi County, local characteristics are leveraged to promote shooting, roller skiing, soft field hockey, and cheerleading in schools, maintaining regular training for school and county teams to cultivate potential sports talent.
The addition of community support has injected fresh energy into school sports. In Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, swimming classes have been integrated into the curriculum, with approximately 90 schools utilizing off-campus facilities, benefiting over 10,000 students. Meanwhile, in Longkou City, Shandong Province, an initiative has introduced traditional martial arts into the schools, spreading knowledge of Tai Chi and Ba Duan Jin, among other disciplines.
Fostering interest is essential, mastering skills is fundamental, and participating in competitions is key. Olympic champion Yang Yang believes that engaging in sports activities helps young people learn to follow rules, collaborate, and cope with setbacks, thereby highlighting the multifaceted value of sports in promoting their physical and mental well-being. He advocates for inter-class and inter-school competitions to boost student involvement in sports.
The recent Shanghai Student Games, which kicked off at the end of September, featured three categories with participation exceeding 100,000 students. “In recent years, the overall health and fitness levels of students in Shanghai have steadily improved,” stated Chen Hua, director of the Sports, Health, and Arts section of the Shanghai Education Commission. “The student games aim to better coordinate the resources of city, district, and school-level competitions, enhance the development of athletic talent, and attract more students through formats like ‘challenges’ and ‘honor rolls.’”
“Building an integrated sports competition system will further invigorate campus athletics,” remarked Li Hui, director of the Youth Affairs Department at the National Sports General Administration.
