Chinese schoolchildren ordered to come dancing

BEIJING, June 5 (Reuters) Dancing will be compulsory from now on for Chinese schoolchildren, who have shown alarming levels of obesity in recent years, state media said today.

Seven sets of dance steps have been designed to ''suit the physical and psychological characteristics of students at different ages'', the China Daily said, quoting a Ministry of Education notice.

Boys and girls in senior high schools would also be required to learn the waltz.

''Each dance set lasts four to five minutes, and will be performed during class breaks or in extra-curricular time,'' the newspaper said. ''They will not replace the physical exercise course.'' The new programme comes amid media reports of declining levels of physical activity among youngsters, mainly because of heavy homework loads and extra-curricular activities.

Nearly one in five people in China are overweight or obese and the problem is getting worse among children, especially boys, according to a study last year.

''Group dancing will help cultivate students' social graces and sense of collectivism,'' Wang Wenrong, of the Guangxi Normal College, was quoted as saying.

REUTERS DS PM0945