The government is mulling decreasing the number of subjects taught at elementary, middle and high schools as early as the 2011 school year.

The Presidential Advisory Council on Education, Science and Technology held a public hearing on future-oriented school curriculum reform on Friday.

The council’s tentative plan includes a reform that would reduce the number of subjects taught at elementary schools from ten to seven to lessen students’ workload.

For middle and high school students, the number of subjects will decrease to eight from the current 13.

Currently at the high-school level, there are five curriculum groups: humanities and social studies, science and technology, art and physical education, foreign languages, and cultural studies.

They will be reorganized into four subject groups: basics, exploratory subjects, arts and physical education, and electives.