The Ministry of Education issued a notice recently asking schools to accord greater importance to sports education, make students' physical health an important indicator of comprehensive quality assessment and explore whether sports could be included as a subject in high school exams. Though many people oppose the inclusion of sports in gaokao, or the national college entrance examination, it's time people realized the importance of physical education, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

It is well known that in general Chinese teenagers' physical health is poor. One of the main reasons experts have proposed that sports as a subject be included in the national college entrance exam is that youngsters will be forced to do more physical exercise at least to get good scores in the exam.

Some people may criticize the proposal saying it will make the exam-oriented education tougher and increase students' burden. But the inclusion of sports in the assessment system does not necessarily mean evaluating sports the way it is done in exams.

A large number of schools, from elementary to middle, neither give importance to sports classes nor give students enough time for physical exercise. Plus, students are forced by their parents to take special after-school classes, leaving them little time for rest, let alone physical exercise.

Punishing officials and educators responsible for not giving importance to sports will only be a temporary remedy. The important thing is to free students of the disproportionate burden of the classroom and studies and give them more time for physical exercise.

(China Daily 11/22/2012 page9)