Reform mandates PE time in schools

China has introduced a sweeping national plan to ensure primary and middle school students engage in at least two hours of daily physical activities by 2027, part of a broader push to strengthen students' physical and mental health.

The key goals of the initiative include a notable hike in the rate of students with qualified and excellent physical health, as well as an increase in the proportion of graduates who maintain regular exercise habits, according to a new guideline issued by the Ministry of Education and four other government departments.

A core requirement of the plan is to guarantee allotted time for physical education. Schools are mandated to offer the required number of PE classes and are encouraged to utilize additional curriculum hours and offer substantial activity breaks — potentially two 30-minute sessions per day. PE will also be an essential component of after-school services.

To improve teaching quality, the reforms promote a cohesive curriculum across all school stages. The focus is on helping every student master at least one sports skill and develop an exercise habit.

Widespread participation in sports is another pillar of the reform. Schools will widely establish sports clubs and teams, organizing regular interclass and interschool competitions. Every school is expected to hold two comprehensive sports meets or festivals annually, fostering a new norm where students participate often in school sports competitions.

The plan also emphasizes strengthening the teaching force. It calls for building a new type of sports faculty comprised of fulltime teachers, coaches, and part-time staff members. Measures include improving recruitment, training, and incentive mechanisms to ensure PE teachers receive equal treatment in professional evaluation and benefits.

Furthermore, schools will upgrade sports facilities and explore sharing resources with communities. Public sports venues are encouraged to open to students at low or no cost.

A senior official with the ministry's Department of Physical, Health and Arts Education said physical education is the most straightforward and effective solution to address health issues affecting students, including obesity and eyesight problems.

The evaluation of school sports will be reformed, shifting the focus from competitive testing to positive incentives and ongoing assessments. Key metrics will include physical fitness, skill development, and sports participation, he said. By 2035, the vision is to establish a modern school sports system that plays a major role in student development and building a nation strong in education.

The Beijing No 2 Experimental Primary School has not only met but significantly exceeded the national "two-hour" physical activity requirement, with a structured system of in-class and extracurricular sports programs, according to Zhu Guohui, director of the school's physical and health education center.

The school's daily schedule systematically integrates physical activity. This includes a mandatory 35-minute physical education class, a 35-minute PE session first thing in the morning, and a 20-minute extended break at noon. Combined with 15-minute breaks between classes, the total structured activity time reaches two hours and 35 minutes, he said.

Beyond the general requirement, a voluntary morning exercise session is offered from 6:50 to 7:30 am, attracting students looking to enhance fitness or build habits, he said.

The school also runs nine major sports clubs, including basketball, swimming, and track and field. A key focus is on students with weaker physical conditions, including those dealing with obesity, myopia, or anxiety, he said. These after-school sessions, along with various sports clubs that operate from 4:00 to 5:30 pm or later, engage approximately 30 percent of the school's 5,000-strong student population, he added.

Zhu said all the measures have yielded positive results, with the school's physical fitness test data showing consistent improvement over the past three years. The rate of students achieving excellent and good grades in the PE test climbed from 91.47 percent in 2022 to 92.71 percent in 2023, and further to 95.60 percent in 2024.

While the 2025 data is not yet fully available, the school has already demonstrated outstanding results in recent exams. All fourth-grade students passed their physical education assessment, while the pass rate for sixth-graders reached 99.44 percent, significantly higher than the average in Beijing's Xicheng district.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn