The Ministry of Education released a document on Friday requiring art academies, sport colleges and universities with art and sport majors to increase the weight of their applicants’ academic performance in the enrollment procedure. For too long, while enrolling art and sport students, the schools tend to pay more attention to their applicants’ achievements in art and sport than to their academic performance. The enrollment exams for art and sport majors were initially designed for those students gifted in these two fields, but many students who are not gifted in these areas with relatively poor academic performance view them as a way to enter college. That explains why the art and sport colleges are regarded as being the cradles of illiterate artists and athletes. That is also why some entertainment and sport celebrities and famous artists cannot behave themselves as a role model for their fans. Through issuing the document, the Ministry of Education has sought to address the problems, as it decrees the schools raise the academic threshold for entrants. If this instruction is strictly implemented, those preparing to major in art and sport in universities must be prepared to set aside time and energy to cram for Chinese, math and English exams, which are the three main subjects in the national college entrance exams. (Xinhua) | 