Take a close look at your child’s annual school health report and follow up on any abnormalities right away.

7. Take a close look at your child’s annual school health report and follow up on any abnormalities right away.

Cost: No cost at all. Under China’s Compulsory Education Law, all school health check fees are covered by school operating budgets, so parents pay nothing extra.

In plain terms: Every year, primary and middle schools conduct one health check for every student. The official guidelines list being overweight, obese, malnourished, having spinal curvature issues, poor eyesight, and dental cavities as key areas that need special attention. These problems are precisely the ones parents tend to put off dealing with. Don’t just glance at your child’s height and weight measurements and then file the report away. If any of these issues show up on the report, take your child to a specialist for a proper check-up that same year — don’t wait until the next annual check.

Benefit: The 2021 Administrative Measures for Health Checks of Primary and Middle School Students requires all such schools to run one health check per year for every enrolled student. The physical exam covers the head, neck, chest, spine, limbs, skin, and lymph nodes, while the eye exam checks external eye condition, distance vision, and refractive errors (degree of myopia or hyperopia). The individual report issued to each student must include all test results, an overall assessment, and tailored health guidance. Overweight, obesity, malnutrition, spinal curvature issues, poor eyesight, and dental cavities are all designated as priority areas for follow-up. Local education authorities are also required to keep records of students with health problems and conduct regular follow-ups. All costs for these compulsory education health checks are paid by school budgets, with no extra charges for parents (issued nationwide in September 2021).

Evidence grade: B

Sources: National Health Commission of China (NHC), Ministry of Education of China (2021). Measures for the Management of Health Examinations for Primary and Secondary School Students (2021 Edition) (National Health Commission [2021] No. 29). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-10/21/content_5644100.htm>

Notes: This grade is assigned because the document is a set of administrative rules for schools, not a study on the actual effectiveness of these checks. It guarantees that schools will run annual checks covering the listed items and follow up on any abnormalities, but does not confirm that all identified issues will receive timely intervention. These health checks are only a preliminary screening tool, not a formal diagnosis. For poor eyesight, a pupil dilation refraction test at an ophthalmology clinic is required (see Item 12). For spinal curvature issues, a visit to an orthopedics or spinal surgery specialist is necessary (see Item 2 — do not delay treatment to wait until after exams). Parents are responsible for arranging these follow-up appointments for their children.