A top education official on Tuesday showed his support for the idea to delay the separation of sciences and arts education in high school. This was the first time Education Ministry officials spoke about the controversial issue.

Vice Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng，a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, said students should be educated in both sciences and arts to have a better long-term educational development in the future.

"It is better to delay the separation of sciences and arts education in high school. Personally, I think students should learn both sciences and arts subjects in senior high school," he said.

In early February, the Ministry of Education raised 20 important issues in various areas of China's education system to collect public opinions and suggestions. Among them, the issue of whether the separation of sciences and arts subjects should be canceled has become a hot topic for the public.

The government is expected to decide whether to end the practice of students deciding to go in either sciences or arts streams in Chinese high schools before the end of August this year.

According to data from the ministry, 54 percent of the people surveyed support the cancellation of separate streams in senior high school. The education ministry will establish a long-term plan for education reform and development after it finished collecting suggestions at the end of February.

Currently, senior high school students in China have to make a choice between sciences and arts in the first or second year of their studies. Generally speaking, more students tend to prefer sciences over arts.

In Beijing, applicants to science and engineering programs accounted for 67.6 percent of the 118,106 who took the 2008 national college entrance examination in the Chinese capital. The proportion is similar in other regions in China.

Many educational experts advocate the cancelling of separating the streams, as they believe the comprehensive development of individuals requires knowledge of both the sciences and arts.

Ji Baocheng, president of Renmin University, said that there is no clear boundary between sciences and arts subjects and if the separation into streams is practiced too early, students' potential will be restrained to a large extent.

Ji is also a deputy to the 11th National People's Congress, China's top legislative body.