The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention under the Ministry of Education recently stated that the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs do not accurately measure students' cardiopulmonary function, and the 20-meter shuttle run is expected to replace the long-standing 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs in schools. This news has caused quite a stir. Yesterday, reporters learned from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education that Jiangsu will not consider canceling the "800-meter and 1,000-meter" assessments for now. Meanwhile, multiple experts in the province have jointly called for "keeping the long-distance run."
Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education:
20-meter shuttle run may replace the kilometer run
The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention under the Ministry of Education recently stated that the long-standing 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs in schools do not accurately measure students' cardiopulmonary function, and the 20-meter shuttle run is expected to take its place as part of school physical fitness tests. Is the 20-meter shuttle run more suitable for testing students' fitness? There is theoretical reasoning behind this. However, against the backdrop of declining student fitness, reports of student deaths from sudden cardiac arrest during kilometer "long runs," and even schools canceling long runs, this news has stirred up controversy. Advocates argue that the 20-meter shuttle run is more scientific, while opponents point out that it is merely a pure performance metric, poses potential risks, and wastes human, material, and financial resources.
The Shanghai Primary and Secondary Schools Research Base of the Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention under the Ministry of Education has already begun trial work to replace the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs with the 20-meter shuttle run, conducting pilots across three districts and counties in Shanghai, 18 schools, and involving a total of 5,000 students.
Ji Liu, head of the base and professor at the School of Physical Education and Health at East China Normal University [Weibo], explained to reporters that the results of traditional sports such as running, jumping, and throwing do not fully reflect students' physical fitness but more so their athletic ability.
"From a physiological perspective, aerobic capacity mainly reflects students' cardiopulmonary function, whereas the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs are a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises and cannot accurately reflect cardiopulmonary function," Ji Liu also told reporters. Tests show that the physical exertion of the 20-meter shuttle run is no less than that of the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs. Currently, many countries, such as the United States and Japan, adopt endurance-based 20-meter shuttle runs, which are considered better forms of aerobic exercise.
Ji Liu stated that the student health and fitness testing system they have established includes four components: cardiopulmonary function, flexibility, strength, and body composition. Replacing the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs with the 20-meter shuttle run is just a small part of it and is still in the trial phase. Meanwhile, the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs as part of the physical health test will not be canceled in the short term.
Experts in our province are calling for:
The 800-meter and 1,000-meter long runs should not be canceled
Yesterday, Du Wei, head of the Physical Education, Health, and Arts Division of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, told Yangtze Evening News reporters that the province will not consider canceling the "800-meter and 1,000-meter" assessments for now.
Chen Haibo, head of the Graduate School at Nanjing Sport Institute, believes that middle- and long-distance running is an effective way to enhance students' physical fitness and cardiopulmonary function. The different age-appropriate distances and standard times for middle- and long-distance running set in student curricula are all scientifically validated. From the perspective of test items, passing the 800-meter and 1,000-meter tests can reflect issues such as students' aerobic endurance and cardiopulmonary function.
Regarding the issue of individual student deaths from sudden cardiac arrest during long runs, Pan Shaowei, deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Promoting Student Physical Health, said that after investigation and evidence collection, children who experience accidents or even sudden cardiac arrest during physical exercise mostly have underlying health issues. "There are also cases where children who never exercise suddenly engage in high-intensity workouts, which may cause discomfort," Pan Shaowei explained. The 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs are part of China's student physical fitness test, but in daily teaching, schools can change teaching methods to stimulate students' interest in sports. "Exercise doesn't have to be limited to the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs. We’re discussing the 20-meter shuttle run, having kids jump rope 5,000 times or sweat buckets doing aerobics—none of it is painful and still improves endurance. One basic concept must be upheld: we must encourage physical exercise to make our children stronger." Su Lixin, director of the Provincial Student Physical Health Monitoring Center and head of the Nanjing Primary and Secondary Schools Health Care Office, also called for attention: "These issues highlight the need for us to place greater emphasis on health, as some of them stem from congenital problems. Now, our provincial education department’s implementation of the Ministry of Education’s policy for annual routine physical exams for primary and secondary school students is very important. If potential issues are identified in advance through these routine exams, and students are advised not to participate in strenuous activities, tragedies can be avoided."
Reporters have learned that the Provincial Department of Education is studying physical fitness test standards for college graduates, using these standards to promote student exercise—for example, converting the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs into 2,400 meters for male students and 2,000 meters for female students—to encourage university students to maintain regular physical activity during their school years.
Xinhua News Agency Commentary:
Frequent deaths from running spark concerns; canceling the kilometer run seems like shirking responsibility
The 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs have left many with "painful" memories from their school days, and many netizens lamented, "born in the wrong era." Some also said canceling the kilometer run test feels more like a concession to declining student fitness.
Lyu Yuanzhen, a professor and doctoral supervisor at South China Normal University, compared the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs with the 20-meter shuttle run. He believes that first, whether the 20-meter shuttle run can more scientifically measure cardiopulmonary function remains questionable; second, the 20-meter shuttle run involves sudden stops, touches, and turns, which are hard on the knees and do not reduce the likelihood of students fainting or dying suddenly, whereas the kilometer run is a widely recognized aerobic endurance activity.
Third, the testing cost of the 20-meter shuttle run increases significantly. Although it uses a small area, only one teacher can test one student at a time, making it inefficient. It also requires precise instruments, whereas the kilometer run can test an entire class in 10 minutes, and students can easily understand their speed and level. Fourth, the 20-meter shuttle run no longer requires a playground, which could give schools a reason to encroach on playground space.
In this "sensitive" period of frequent running-related deaths, despite the scientific basis of the 20-meter shuttle run, replacing the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs with it still carries a hint of shirking responsibility. In today’s era of exam-oriented education, if the 800-meter and 1,000-meter runs are no longer listed as physical fitness test items, how many students will still be seen running around the playground?
School physical education has long been a focus of attention, yet students’ physical fitness continues to decline. Physical education has reached an awkward juncture where "students are afraid, parents [Weibo] are afraid, and schools are afraid." Exercise is not mandatory, and how to get students to genuinely enjoy a sport suited to their physical condition is a challenge facing school physical education research. And the challenges facing school physical education are far from limited to just this one.