Shanghai is to promote sports and arts education in primary and secondary schools for students’ all-round development, according to a document released by the city government yesterday.

High schools will team up with primary and middle schools to share teachers, venues and other resources to provide high-quality training in sports and arts.

The city aims to have all schools develop their own strength in sports or arts by 2021, and from 2022, high schools will launch special programs to admit students good at sports or arts.

Ni Minjing, deputy director of the Shanghai Education Commission, said some high schools admitted students based on their ability in sports and arts, but only about 2 percent.

The document says sports and arts education should be open to all students and carried out via classes, after-class activities and after-school training. It urges schools as well as district and city authorities to organize sports or art groups at various levels and organize competitions for students.

The city will increase funding for a stronger teaching team for sports and arts. It will hire full-time teachers and invite professional coaches and artists to be part-time teachers. It will build more venues for sports and arts in schools and more off-campus bases for training.

The document comes as the Ministry of Education urges schools nationwide to promote all-round development. Shanghai aims to enable every student to have at least two sports skills and one artistic speciality after graduation from high school.

Ni said the reforms will help change the situation where many students engage in sport or art in kindergarten or primary school but give up in middle and high school.

“The situation resulted in lack of high-standard athletes and artists in Shanghai, and we hope the new practice will be able to promote the cultivation of native talent in these fields,” he said.