The Ministry of Education recently issued a notice to launch the "Sports and Arts 2+1 Program" in schools of compulsory education throughout China, requiring schools to organize in-class and after-class activities of sports and arts education. Through the program, every student can master at least two sports skills and one art skill, laying sound foundations for their all-round development.

In the National Plan and Outline for the Reform and Education of Mid- and Long-term Education (2010-2020), its states that they want to carry out quality-based education in an all-round way, organize the vast middle and primary school students to participate in scientific, healthy, lovely and lively sports and arts activities. This is to improve their sports capacity and art quality and promote their healthy growth and comprehensive development.The notice requires al large number of schools in various regions to have sufficient courses of music, physical education and fine art. They are also to integrate related contents of the "Sports and Arts 2+1 Program" into teaching plans, mainly based on class education, innovative teaching contents, launching of teaching reforms and improvement of teaching levels.

The notice points out that education administrations in various regions should guide middle and primary schools in carefully selecting sports and arts programs and to research and formulate authentication criteria and implementation measures. Various middle and primary schools should determine the sports and arts programs in line with the school's realities and students' physical and mental development. This is according to the resources of music, sports and fine art teachers, teaching facilities and conditions, sports traditions and artistic characteristics of their respective schools. This is so that students can choose and study to meet their demands for personality development. The authentication criteria and evaluation measures for "Sports and Arts 2+1 Program" should be easy to operate and can encourage all students to actively participate in these activities.