At the present stage, although general education or liberal education is advocated in college, the line between two science and arts disciplines is still very clear. If students must take arts and science examinations in the college entrance examination, the enrollment process will be a difficult experience for them.

I believe when the social development demands no separation of arts and science, or colleges have tackled the problems of how to recruit students taking courses in the two disciplines, canceling the separation practice will be a natural process.

Before this day comes, the important thing is to ensure students are able to make the best use of current education environment. On the part of colleges, if they can design some programs catering for students taking both arts and science disciplines, it would be helpful to end this separation.

Ye Kuo (www.china.com.cn): It's totally acceptable for students to concentrate on either science or arts in accordance with their personal interest. It conforms to the market's demand for professionals. Even if science and arts education is not separated, in the actual teaching environment students will show their preference to either science or arts.

What blocks China's education progress is the examination-based appraisal system, rather than separated education. When the whole country's basic education means to send students into college and only to college, what is emphasized is no longer people's physical and psychological health, but the college enrollment rate. China's education system seems like an assembly line producing the same kind of product. In this assembly line, we see the vanishing of students' imagination and creativity.

Si Xin (Xiaoxiang Morning Post): The problem in China's current education system does not lie in the separation of science and arts, but the fact that the two systems are not apart enough. Everyone has their strong and weak points in the academic area, but we have overemphasized the importance of making students good at all subjects. As a result, students do not have special skills. This is a waste of China's educational resources and a lot of students good in a certain area are deprived of the opportunity of higher education.

The system of separating science and arts education is not perfect. But if we do not separate the two systems, education equality will become a problem. We must ensure that all kinds of students have access to education.

Yang Gengshen (Shanghai Morning Post): The huge number of science- or arts-ignorant students are not a direct result of the separation of science and arts education. This situation therefore cannot be completely changed if the two disciplines merge. The improvement of our national quality must be based on developed civic education.

China has never set up an independent civic education system, which has led to character flaws in its citizens. When the awareness of law, democracy and science is absent among our students, it's natural that they are not as cultured as they could be. But this is not the problem of a separated education.

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