A Worrying Trend: Running Events Cancelled at Chinese Schools

A Worrying Trend: Running Events Cancelled at Chinese Schools
Dec 02, 2012 By eChinacities.com

Editor's note: The following was translated and edited from an article that appeared in the education section of the Chinese news portal ifeng.com. It concerns the cancellation of several long-distance running events in elementary and middle school track meets in Shenzhen for fear the students may be injured or even die suddenly if pushed too hard. This decision mirrors similar cuts at a number ofother universities across the country. However, some experts fear that this may exacerbate the already deteriorating physical health of China's youth.

Wuhan, Xi'an, Nanjing and several other cities have recently cancelled women's 3,000 meter and men's 5,000 meter running events at university-level track meets, citing a noticeable decline in student health which school authorities fear may lead to deaths if pushed too far. Meanwhile, most schools in Guangzhou have kept their long-distance running events, although they do prepare for emergencies, by having medical personnel on site and requiring competitors to submit electrocardiogram reports. However, some schools are considering removing the long distance competitions altogether.

Vulnerable groups

Nanshan's elementary and middle school track meet was held in mid November at Nantou Middle School. As reporters observed, this year's girls' 3,000 meter and boys' 5,000 meter events were conspicuously missing, leaving the longest event at only 1,500 meters. It was later revealed to journalists that the change is a result of new regulations passed by Shenzhen physical education authorities, marking the first ever cancellation of the two events. Cancellations of similar events throughout the city confirmed that the change is in fact citywide, passed down from the municipal level. The announcement offered no explanation of its motivations.

According to many physical education faculties, however, the change is due to a continuing decline in student health. Because distance running requires stamina, and students today don't get enough exercise, the cancellation is intended to prevent students from "getting hurt". It did not go unnoticed by reporters that, during interviews, several teachers referred to the school as a "vulnerable group".

High pressure, low exercise

In 2011, in a health survey of preschool groups, elementary groups, middle/high school groups, adults, and elderly demographics, the middle/high school students scored second to last at 88.4%, almost 1% higher than the elderly group, and worse than elementary school students.

Compared to the results from 2010, Shenzhen students performed worse in recent years on tests of lung capacity, grip strength, 50-meter dash, standing jump, and other measures of physical health. Test results also indicate an increase in nearsightedness and obesity in the past three years.

P.E. teacher Guo Xiaobin at Cuiyuan Middle School believes students are under a lot of pressure from their classes and lack adequate exercise, leading to a serious decline in physical health. He says he's seen students pass out after standing for several minutes during flag raising ceremonies.

For their own safety

The Shenzhen Student Physical Education Federation is the body responsible for the planning of school competitions and for physical education training of teachers in Shenzhen. On November 14, the federation confirmed the cancellation of long-distance running, but denied any relation to recent regulations by other cities, stating that their announcement concerning the girls' 3,000 meter and boys' 5,000 meter events had been in effect since September. The reason: participation in these events has fallen year by year, student health has been gradually deteriorating and their amount of exercise has decreased. Thus the change was made out of concern for students' safety.

Whether or not elementary and middle schools will ever reinstate the long-distance running events, and whether or not physical education curriculum will change as a result, is still unclear.

Source: ifeng.com

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Keywords: China student health physical education China declining physical fitness China

7 Comments

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veron

Great Analysis..

However..Bill Gates is also a drop out ...just kidding

Unfortunately,in the world we are living today is Curved by Americans/Europeans.Like it or not.

To name some electricity,antibiotics,aeroplane,railways,motor car,semi-conductor,wireless communication...the list is really long.

These are all INVENTED by US/Americans ...i.e. people educated in those countries.I really don't see things invented by Asians in this list in Modern age.

Yes there are drop-outs in US.Bill Gates is also one.

Those graduate students who come to US ...are not neither forced to come..not invited.It is an opportunity offered to non-US,non-European
people.

In US,people don't study to get a mere job(it was like that before)or to survive.Though things will be changing in future.In,US only those study who has genuine thrust for knowledge.The primary goal of US education was system never to produce employees but to produce scholars.Again.this is changing now..not good news for Non-US students....as they have to now compete with American students who will now seriously compete with them for those University seats.

One last things,look around you,and ask your self how many technologies
around you are "INVENTED" by non-european,non-Americans.

That was the primary purpose of education in West before ...to educate people not to train them for a job.

But,again this is changing now....as Americans also started studying for getting jobs like their Asians counterparts...not the best news for Asian students....anyway their eagerness to study in US is a already proof which education system is better..






Dec 10, 2012 06:12 Report Abuse

highworld

Guys, c'mon. Whether we like it or not, the US has the best education system in the world, bar none. It's not a question of whether you like the place (I know many people are unconscious of their US prejudice), it's just a fact. The US system allows people to get as far as they want. If you want to drop out and be a loser, fine. If you want to go to Harvard, that's fine too.

Ps. I want to thank some of you for your modesty in characterizing American schools as simply "good", lol....

Dec 09, 2012 07:33 Report Abuse

veron

US knows little about the world means US can afford to know little about the world and still remain no-1.

People generally are not willing to know countries who are behind them.

How many Chinese,Japanese,Indians ...knows about sub-Saharan African countries and their people.How many have been there...or are willing to go and learn about them.

Do you even know what language they speak..funny isn't it

Dec 10, 2012 06:20 Report Abuse

veron

Not only America attacks other countries.

Look at history...powerful countries always attacks weaker countries...USA,Japan,England,USSR,Germany,Italy...go little further Greece,Roma,Persia....America is not doing anything new...Every country in this world has attacked another country sometimes....it's human nature...has nothing to do with America in particular dear....some new power will also emerge in future and will do the same...

Dec 11, 2012 06:01 Report Abuse

veron

A nation,transforming from labour economy to knowledge economy,as it seems.

People have less and less time to perform physical activities.

Too make matters worse,you have to compete with a largest population in the world,to secure a seat in a good university(in Chinese standard) .And you are competing in an environment where you IQ or smartness means nothing.What really counts is how much you can memorize not how much you can digest.This creates stress as there is no fun in learning any more. no room for creativity.Creative minds are killed in the The biggest FAT factor is stress (more than fast food,lack of exercise which may rank 2nd and 3rd). When you are stressed,your body goes into "emergency mode" your brain sends signal to your body to stop burning fat as much as possible(this is how human body evolved since ice age). And ,now a days even 2 year old is under stress for attending extra classes and to learn English (to move to some developed country in future).

The combined impact of above factors can be a disaster for future generations of China if not rectified in time.

China can learn and copy lots of of good things from US(like say copying education system of US)....but probably it is not a good idea to copy the "look" of Americans and the "lifestyle"...


Dec 02, 2012 22:29 Report Abuse

veron

look at your clothes,look at your cars,look at your I-phone,look at the antibiotics you take,looks at your text books(science books),look at the aeroplane you fly...every major scientific invention done in last 50 years was mostly done by US system (which includes white,brown,yellow ,black all)....it is the system I am talking about....a system which provides us medicines,health equipments,cellphone....like it or not....the world you are living today is curved by America(i.e. the people produced by American system...not whites or blacks).....innovative minds,scientists,artists are produced in a certain environment/system.probably little off-track....but hope answers your question or what I means by saying "to become like US"...US may be good or bad....but it is still the best "officially" in knowledge...i.e. education...any doubt on that?

Dec 03, 2012 02:49 Report Abuse

veron

Just to add some clarity...surely China can learn from all countries....but still better to follow the best in your class always....though US also has a dark side(quite dark actually) but that doesn't nullify its contribution in last 50 years.....it was done by people of ALL COLORS.



Dec 03, 2012 03:00 Report Abuse