In these days of compulsory education, not enough attention is paid to students' physical health, which has a negative impact on their all-round development, says an article in Wuhan Evening News. Excerpts:

Ministry of Education officials have told the media that there is a shortage of 3,000 physical education teachers in compulsory education schools. The shortage of physical education teachers reflects how students' physical health is being ignored in compulsory education.

In primary and middle schools, physical education classes always yield to subjects that are wrongly considered more important by school managements and teachers.

Though educational authorities have worked out several rules to ensure school students undergo physical exercises to improve their health, the neglect of physical education in schools has turned it into a joke.

If educational authorities really want physical education to be part of the curricula, how could school inspection officials overlook the shortage of physical education teachers? If the authorities are really serious about making physical education mandatory in schools, why don't they withhold the clearance certificate of schools that don't have adequate number of physical education teachers?

The recent deaths of college students taking part in long-distance running have set the alarm bells ringing, leaving many worried about people's, especially youngsters', physical health.

Zhong Nanshan, a medical expert, has said that though Chinese adolescents today are comparatively tall, their physical health is not good. The problem with compulsory education is that it ignores the importance of physical exercise, he said.

(China Daily 12/19/2012 page9)