Sport gives students respite from classroom pressure

Proof that children are becoming more involved in sport despite the academic burdens they face can be seen at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

Long lines of teenagers form daily in Yuzui Wetland Park to experience wushu, skateboarding, roller-skating and climbing as part of an initiative known as Sports Lab.

They take part in mini-clinics and learn some of the skills needed for the four sports.

Events such as the youth games and initiatives like Sports Lab are encouraging more and more teenagers to embrace healthy lifestyles. Taking up sports helps them to relax and escape the pressures they face in the classroom.

"Chinese students are under enormous academic pressure," said Zhou. "This exercise is a great way to refresh yourself."

The Ministry of Education has introduced a number of measures to enhance the role of physical education.

These include giving the PE test extra weight in the overall scoring system for the high school entrance exam, and taking PE development into account when assessing the performance of school officials.

The latest initiative, announced before the youth games by Education Minister Yuan Guiren, will see the creation of a soccer league that within three years will involve 20,000 schools.

The efforts have paid off, said Wang Dengfeng, director of the ministry's Physical Education, Health and Arts Department.

"The deterioration of students' fitness has slowed down and we've seen a slight improvement," he said.

Two recent national fitness surveys show that the overall fitness status - including stamina, strength and aerobic capacity - of primary and secondary students has started to improve following a period of decline, the ministry said.

Data on 123,000 students aged 7 to 18 in 2013 and 150,500 in the same age group in 2012 was analyzed. The results show that average cardiopulmonary function, lower-limb strength and stamina have improved.

Cardiopulmonary function was reflected by lung capacity, lower-limb strength measured by a standing long jump and stamina tested by running.