College students to take more exercise

Chinese universities and colleges have been told to promote the health of students and open more physical education (PE) courses.

A circular, published on Tuesday by the Ministry of Education, requires measures to ensure that university students spend at least one and half hours each week on physical exercise.

All universities should open no less than 15 PE courses for the students to choose from and the first and sophomore year students will take at least 108 hours of compulsory PE lessons per year.

The circular calls for an assessment system for students' physical health.

The health of students will be considered in performance assessments for universities and any university identified with deteriorating student health for three consecutive years will be evaluated as unqualified, even with excellent performance in teaching other courses.

The assessment score will be recorded in the students' personal files and play a vital role in the appraisal of the most outstanding students before graduation.

The circular requires universities to create plans that will guarantee exercise safety and prevent sports injuries.