Kang Chiao Bilingual School has built the first rock climbing wall in an elementary school campus nationwide at its Green Mountain Campus. The wall replicates a scaled-down version of Yushan and serves as a training ground for sixth-grade students to prepare for next year’s summit attempt as part of their graduation ceremony. Principal Hsu Ming-chin stated that comprehensive exploration courses can nurture well-rounded students who excel both academically and physically.
According to the Child Welfare League Foundation’s “2012 Children’s Sports Activities Survey Report,” Taiwanese elementary school children not only have significantly fewer physical education classes compared to peers in countries like the U.S. and Japan, but also over 70% engage in less than two hours of exercise outside school each week.
Since 2008, Kang Chiao schools have held mountain-climbing graduation ceremonies for four consecutive years. Including this year’s 276 sixth graders, a total of 1,000 graduates have climbed Yushan and Snow Mountain, proving through action that “students can excel academically and physically.”
To uphold this fine tradition, the school specially constructed a four-story, eight-meter-wide “Yushan Rock Climbing Wall” on campus—essentially bringing a scaled-down Yushan into the school. A recent “Yushan Climbing Wall Inauguration Ceremony” invited three sixth graders to climb and plant a flag at the top, followed by further training at nearby Erge Mountain.
School officials said that after the Yushan Dream Launch Ceremony, students will undergo a series of exploration courses including physical training, knowledge acquisition, technical skills, and mountaineering practice. The children vowed to climb their first major peak in May next year and receive their graduation certificates upon reaching the summit.
Before next year’s summit, the school has arranged for students to undergo six intensive mountaineering training sessions in nearby mountainous areas, along with weight training, long-distance running, stair climbing, and long-distance swimming to build muscle endurance, cardiovascular capacity, and practical climbing skills.
Principal Hsu Ming-chin expressed confidence, saying that the school’s exploration curriculum is rich and rigorous. With two weekly swimming classes and two physical education classes already in place, the addition of the Yushan Climbing Wall helps students step out of their comfort zones and develop stamina and perseverance. Through diverse and enriching course content, children better understand that “there are no shortcuts to success—dreams require steady, determined steps.”
He encouraged students to always approach the mountains and nature with the humblest and most reverent hearts. Learning to respect nature will be the most touching form of life education and physical training.