In the information age, children and adolescents are facing greater academic pressure and life challenges. In response to this challenge, Shenzhen recently issued a policy to clarify that "one physical education class per day" will be implemented from January 1, 2024 in the compulsory education stage, which has attracted widespread attention. In addition, Beijing, Shanghai and other places have also carried out active reforms and explorations in ensuring students' physical exercise time, encouraging schools in the basic education stage to open one physical education class a day.
In 2020, the "Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving School Physical Education in the New Era" was issued, which clearly required that physical education classes should be opened to the fullest, and schools in the basic education stage were encouraged to open one physical education class a day. In 2022, the newly revised Sports Law added new provisions such as "ensuring that physical education class time is not occupied" and "ensuring that students participate in at least one hour of physical exercise every day while in school", protecting the rights of young people to sports activities from a legal perspective. The increase in physical education class time in various localities is a solid implementation of national policies. This not only improves the physical well-being of students, but also benefits them on a psychological and even cognitive level;It not only reflects the attention to current health trends, but also a comprehensive response to the developmental needs of children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed in the "Guidelines for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior" that children and adolescents aged 5-17 should participate in an average of no less than 60 minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise every day. From the perspective of physical health, exercise can enhance cardiopulmonary function, improve the body's endurance and strength, strengthen students' muscles and bones, and contribute to healthy growth. Moreover, regular physical activity can also develop good exercise Xi, which can help prevent chronic diseases and maintain long-term health.
As academic pressure increases, "one physical education class a day" can be an effective way for students to release stress. Sports not only help students break away from stressful Xi, but also significantly improve mood and reduce anxiety by releasing neurotransmitters such as endorphins and dopamine. In addition, physical activity can help students cope better with stress, depression and even self-injurious behaviour by increasing their mental resilience.
Although some people think that more physical education classes may take up Xi time, in reality, regular physical activity not only does not affect students' learning Xi, but may Xi improve learning efficiency by improving cognitive function. The effects of exercise on cognitive performance are manifold. From the more basic perception, attention and memory skills to the more complex executive functions, sports can all benefit. Especially for children and adolescents with strong neuroplasticity, sports can effectively improve students' cognitive function by increasing the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factors, improving blood circulation in the brain, and enhancing neural connections. This has an important positive impact on students' problem-solving skills.
The key to increasing the number of PE hours per week is not only to ensure that there are enough hours, but also to ensure that the quality of the lessons is truly up to standard. First, it is necessary to rationalize the tasks of teachers, and if necessary, consider increasing the number of physical education teachers or providing additional training and resource support. The second is to pay attention to the quality and diversity of course content. The additional physical education class hours should provide a variety of exercise types, including aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility training, Xi etc., to promote the balanced development of students in all aspects of the body. For example, aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness, strength training helps improve muscle strength, and flexibility Xi improves coordination and flexibility. Such an integrated sports program ensures that students receive a well-rounded exercise during physical activity. Third, schools should strengthen the monitoring of students' physical fitness. Because the same exercise has different intensity and effect for different students. Regularly assessing a student's physical health (e.g., heart rate, VOD maximum, etc.) can help teachers tailor their teaching to meet the individual needs of their students.
In addition, with the increase in physical activity, it has become even more important to keep you safe. Schools need to strengthen the construction of sports facilities while increasing safety education and training for teachers and students. Teachers should have the necessary first aid skills to deal with unexpected injuries that may arise during sports in a timely manner. Students should learn how to play a variety of sports safely and learn how to avoid sports injuries. In addition, home-school cooperation also plays a key role. Parental support is essential to encourage students to actively participate in physical activity. Schools can deepen parents' awareness of the importance of physical education through activities such as parent-teacher conferences and sports festivals, and encourage parents to provide more sports opportunities for their children at home.
Through the in-depth implementation of the "one physical education class a day" policy, students will reap the physical, mental and social benefits of physical activity. By cultivating students' good Xi and regular exercise habits, we will usher in a new generation that is healthier, more confident, and more team-oriented, laying a solid foundation for the healthy and sustainable development of the future society.
The author is a professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Psychology of Shenzhen University
*: China Education News.