The Chinese government shines the spotlight on soccer development among teenagers as China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Sunday plans to boost the national average proficiency by 2020. One of the keys to the success of this ambition is to train around 5,400 football teachers in primary and secondary schools across the country.
The initiative is in line with another one of the government's plans to use soccer as a means of improving physical fitness among Chinese youth.
Earlier this month, the ministry also rolled out plans to include football tournaments in all levels of education in China, even colleges. Formerly stringent enrollment policies were also relaxed for colleges and schools to easily recruit talented footballers.
Aside from the development of potential Chinese soccer stars in schools, the campus football initiative will also greatly benefit schools that experience a hard time looking for qualified football teachers.
Football teachers in Chinese schools play an important role in the development and promotion of the sport among youngsters. Due to this, coaching certificates from education authorities must be secured if one aspires to teach as a football instructor.
"Having proper football teachers is crucial for the future of the program, as improper training will not foster students' interests or skills, and might even put the schools in danger," said Wen Xiaowei, an official from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports.
For the program to be fully effective, the country is estimated to need around 40,000 football teachers to be assigned in schools with accredited football programs across the country.
"If the school football program becomes successful, it could serve as a pattern to promote other sports," Sun Baojie, a veteran referee and physical education expert from Tsinghua University, said in an interview with the Global Times.