Phys ed not valued enough, expert says

Although extracurricular programs, like Yao's hoop school, have helped promote the importance of physical education, overhauling China's focus on exam-oriented education remains a long shot, a sports expert said.

Just a month after Yao's school opened admission in December, punishment imposed by Beilun Middle School in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on students for playing basketball after class drew nationwide attention and highlighted a particular mindset that looked down on the merits of sport as part of a well-balanced education.

According to the punishment posted on a micro blog earlier this month, the middle school publicly criticized six students and deducted their school-performance assessment points after they were found playing basketball after 4:30 pm, when they were supposed to have dinner and study.