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May 31, 2021

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Exercise vital part of curriculum in schools

Wang Zhen, a 39-year-old citizen of Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, remembers how he pestered his mother for a year to get a pair of table tennis bats when he was a child.

Now he is squeezing his mind to prepare sports activities for Children鈥檚 Day tomorrow.

鈥淚n the past, people didn鈥檛 realize that children need to exercise, let alone designing activities based on children鈥檚 needs,鈥 said Zhang, head of the Ningxia Children鈥檚 Physical Exercise Association that was established in 2019.

About 30 years ago, there were also few basketball or football facilities at Wang鈥檚 school, and the track of the playground was paved with coal cinder, unlike plastic ones today. 鈥淲e had no PE teacher then and teachers just asked us to play on our own,鈥 Wang recalled.

For Wang鈥檚 seven-year-old daughter Wang Shuyao, PE class has been an important part of her school curriculum. She is learning football and table tennis, and professional PE teachers will ensure each child has enough exercise each day.

Pressure of studies

Children of Wang Shuyao鈥檚 age face more pressure with their studies, and their health has been emphasized at a national level. 鈥淣ational policies and the daily improving living standards help the children鈥檚 sports market to emerge, and it鈥檚 becoming more colorful and professional,鈥 said Zhang.

Sports activities for children are also booming. Wang鈥檚 daughter has taken part in many activities including free training for skiing, a children鈥檚 marathon, and parent-children sports games.

Great changes can also be seen in rural areas.

For Suo Zhiyin, who has been living and teaching in a mountainous village in Xiji county for about five decades, rural children鈥檚 sports have experienced a 鈥渞evolution鈥 鈥 from 鈥渢he only exercise is doing farm work鈥 to 鈥渄oing farm work purposely for exercise.鈥

Xiji was the poorest place in Ningxia before China鈥檚 poverty-alleviation task was accomplished.

For third grader Ye Jiale, who studies at Suo鈥檚 primary school, standard playground and sports equipment for children are not something new, and professional PE teachers have taught her how to run, skip rope and dance in the right way.

鈥淎 strong body is more important than anything else,鈥 said Hai Lanlan, Ye鈥檚 mother.


 

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