Boosting Physical Education

The time allocated for physical education (PE) per week in high schools across the country has been increased by 11 more hours in the current academic year that began on September 24, said Mehrzad Hamidi, PE and Health deputy at the Health Ministry. “Today, we are dealing with the problem of physical inactivity among students as about 9% of students are overweight and 11% obese,” Hamidi told ISNA. PE is an effective strategy to increase exercise among young people. Implementing high-quality PE programs can provide students with the appropriate knowledge, skills, behaviors, and confidence to be physically active for life. Nearly 4.5 million students took part in intraschool sports Olympiads last year, and the number is expected to increase. There are also 1,920 specialized sports schools across the country, some of which are held in the afternoon shift of regular schools.