Editorials

Compulsory curriculum

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-26 07:59

Arts and sports classes have been underlined as compulsory for our primary and secondary schools.

On Monday the Ministry of Education asked all schools within the nine-year compulsory education system to make every student pass requirements in two sports and an art.

The ministry believes this will help students build a healthier and more complete personality, because excellence in the arts and sports can lay a strong foundation for the years ahead.

Related readings:  Education in Tibet autonomous region  Teacher still not qualified after 16 years college education  Higher education squeeze  Education gives young Tibetans a head start

However, across the country, schools currently focus on the students' exam performances. Schools compromise the teaching of art, music and sports so their students can spend more time on subjects to be examined for high school and university.

But this means students across the nation are losing out on the joys of painting, playing instruments or bouncing a basketball unless a private tutor is hired, which some families simply can't afford.

In these cases, students lose out on the knowledge that comes from exposure to art or music and we could be losing the next Beethoven or Van Gogh.

However, the way the Ministry of Education is proposing to teach art and sports classes in our primary and secondary schools is controversial. Students are already fully loaded. When art and sports classes are included in the curriculum, other classes should be cut. Otherwise, it only puts more pressure on students.

Our kids and teens are losing sleep to their ever-larger homework loads, according to a new study. The survey done by China Youth and Children Research Center found nearly 80 percent of teenagers suffer a sleep deficit on their school days.

While everyone requires different amounts of sleep to function at peak performance levels, studies show that teenagers need at least nine hours of shut-eye to function properly in school, compared to the eight hours needed by adults. Sleep deficiency can lead to students suffering daytime drowsiness, depression, headaches and poor performance at school.

As students progress through high school, the homework demands on their time increase. They sleep less to fit them in.

When the Ministry of Education makes art and sports required classes in primary and secondary schools, it should change the curriculum.

The compulsory art and sports classes should not be an additional load on kids and teens.

When gym classes are cut, students lose the opportunity to discover they are good at badminton or basketball. They also lose exercise and put on weight. But our kids and teens are forced to work hard so they can secure a place at a good university. How can primary and secondary schools make time for art and sports?

Compulsory art and sports classes won't be possible unless we redefine what is required of the country's education.

(China Daily 05/26/2011 page8)