Schools build the mind, not body

Tang Yue & Yang Wanli:

The Chinese-language teacher “borrowed” the time allocated for physical education. Again. Instead of 45 minutes of running and playing, there was a quiz on reading and writing.
“We’re used to it. We knew she would never pay (the time) back,” Rong Yiyang, a third-grader, said as he blinked behind his glasses.
Losing a sports lesson that Tuesday morning pained him more than ever. The 9-year-old boy had just quit the school’s basketball team because practice was conflicting with his after-school English class.
Here comes the unwritten rule for Rong and most other Chinese students: Exercise is not bad, but study takes priority – despite a nationwide requirement that schools get kids moving regularly.