Link: "Schools to offer more PE classes"

Korea Joongang Daily: "Schools to offer more PE classes"

Some key quotes:

The Ministry of Education said yesterday that it will expand the required hours of physical education classes of high schools nationwide, mandating them to offer at least two to three courses per week from next year. 

...

“We need to break down the predominant idea that arts, music and physical classes are minor parts of our education and the majority of time should be allotted to math, Korean language and English,” said Education Minister Seo Nam-soo. 

“Our future talent should be well-rounded and the course schedule should go hand in hand with that objective,” he said. 

Despite the possibility that this may encroach on the English classes taught by NETs, I applaud the Education Ministry for this change. The students do indeed more PE classes and time away from their books and desks. Movement and exercise form two key ways of staying in shape, and from what I've seen, students don't move around nearly enough. Many lead sedentary lives of studying, smart phones, and ramyeon eating. The kids out here probably do get around more than their urban counterparts because of all the extra room, but even so, more fresh air will do them good. Coming from the fat country of the USA, I can attest that academics, while good, aren't the only thing. PE classes and exercise have been shown to maintain or boost students' academic performance. Let's get moving.

Addendum:

I began exercising more often a couple months ago too. Despite a penchant for walking and hiking, I figured I wasn't doing enough. Thus, I began biking, stretching, and doing push ups and sit ups every day. I also do pull ups whenever a bar's nearby. Those exercises take but a few minutes, yet have noticed that they lessen tension. Flexing the muscles lets me know I did something more than sit in front of a computer all day too.

Also from the JA Daily: "Building a rigorous body and mind"