RIYADH – Minister of Education Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah has issued guidelines to private girls' schools to hold sports activities according to the rules of Shariah. Ministry's spokesman Muhammad Bin Saad Al-Dukhaini said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency on Saturday that the guidelines stipulate that private girls' schools should provide appropriate places and equipment for sports, students must adhere to decent dress codes and that priority should be given to Saudi women teachers in the appointment of supervisors for sports activities. The ministry said some private girls' schools have been holding sports activities without rules protecting the interests of the students and their health. In 2011, the ministry promised to upgrade the sports programs in boys' schools and to start offering physical education classes for girls as well. However, the girls in government schools are still waiting for permission to hold sports activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) sent recommendations to health authorities in the Kingdom on the importance of physical exercise for the health of schoolgirls. “New programs and strategies are being implemented by the WHO to combat the most common health problems which are threatening the Middle Eastern region — more specifically non-communicable diseases. Excessive weight gain, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and consuming foods of poor nutritional quality are significant factors in the spread of chronic diseases in the Gulf region that could affect mortality,” Haifa Madi, health protection and enhancement director for the WHO, was quoted as saying. Diabetes, heart diseases, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and even cancer can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle: sticking to regular aerobic exercise five days a week, refraining from smoking, eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and fibers and low in saturated fats, chemical additives and cholesterol. “Physical exercise is a positive addition to any educational program due to its long list of benefits. Regular exercise must be taught from a young age and incorporated in schools so that it becomes a life-time habit that is practiced during childhood, adolescence and continues into adulthood. Physical activity must be introduced in schools to halt the alarmingly high rise in type-II diabetes among children in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries,” said Madi. – SG
