Will More Exam Points Help Improve Student Physical Education?

Yunnan Province in southwest China recently released its reform of the high school entrance exam, where the total score allocated to physical education (PE) will be raised from 50 to 100 points, equal to the so-called “three major subjects” of Chinese, Math and English.

The reform will be implemented in the fall semester of 2020 for middle school students seeking to get into high school, which comprises grades 10-12. They will be required to take PE tests every year of middle school, in seventh, eighth and ninth grade, with the proportion of each year’s test set to 20 percent, 40 percent and 40 percent, respectively. The exams include two parts: a physical exam and a sports skills test. The former, accounting for 60 points, will be conducted according to the national standards of students’ physical health, while