In a bid to upgrade the country's high obesity rate, poor fitness and mediocre performance of its national football team, the Chinese government is set to build 20,000 schools that specialize in football by 2017.
According to the Ministry of Education, the schools would be within the primary and middle school levels to ensure that proper foundation on sport and nutrition is built.
Of the 20,000 schools to be established, 2,000 are senior schools, 6,000 are junior schools, and the biggest bulk of 12,000 are primary schools.
The said schools would be placed in 30 towns, which would be chosen in advance by the Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, to further improve entrench football in the culture, vocational schools might also be considered. This is not a priority for the meantime, though.
The schools that would add football in their specialty would have certain benefits and advantages than regular educational institutions. The government would provide support in teaching methods, trainings and even fund competitions as needed. Enrolment and additional funds might also be given.
The MOE would also push for a stronger P.E. curriculum in the said schools, said Wang Dengfeng, the director of Physical Education, Health and Art Department in the MOE. Facilities to match the curriculum would also be constructed. Students would be required to have at least an hour playing sports in the school.
The plan is part of the government's move to boost the younger generation's level of fitness and excellence in football. According to Wang, "these children will be members of the national team and other professional teams."
This also comes in light of the Chinese National Football Team's underwhelming performance in the World Cup and in the AFC. China's only World Cup experience was in 2002, where it was booted out in the group stages. Meanwhile, its neighbors Japan and South Korea have reached past that.
As such, the MOE has made it a priority to boost the sport in the country with these "football-focused" schools.