Luis Figo talks to a young Chinese boy who attended a football clinic conducted by the Figo Football Academy. (Photo : Reuters)
China has mandated that football be taught in primary schools to bolster the nation's talent and goals of becoming globally competitive in the sport.
The country's Ministry of Education has partnered with five other agencies from the central government to establish a "school football leading group." The said task force would focus on developing the sport in the country through programs and policies.
One of the task force's initiatives is to integrate football in all schools' curriculum and make it a requirement for all students through the physical education classes, said Education Minister Yuan Guiren.
The group has also outlined a plan to select 20,000 primary and middle schools in 30 counties to serve as institutions that would specialize in football by 2017.
For a school to qualify, it must employ dedicated football coaches, trainers and instructors. The educational institution must also conduct specialized classes for the students.
The Ministry of Education would take into consideration the school's performance in football competitions before it could be considered as a specialized institution.
Aside from the initial 20,000 schools that would address grassroots development, the city of Beijing has plans to select 200 schools promoting football for an advanced curriculum.
"There will be more training for football instructors in those selected schools," shared an insider from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education.
The insider also noted that developing the sport is a good "starting point" to transform the nation's physical education lessons.
He added: "If the school football program becomes successful, it could serve as a pattern to promote other sports."
China's National Football Squad has been the subject of criticism the past years because of their failure to qualify in the World Cup unlike neighbors Japan and South Korea.
The nation hopes that the team's victories in the Asian Cup early this year would signify an improved team that would be able to take home trophies in the future.
