Should universities in China enjoy administrative grades as government bodies? Legislators and political advisors attending their ongoing annual sessions have divided views.

Last weekend, China made public a government plan on education reform which included statements to gradually call off administrative grades, or bureaucratic rankings, among university managers and give academia more authority to run their schools.

In the government work report delivered Friday, Premier Wen Jiabao urged to "promptly" begin implementing the plan, called the Outline of the National Medium- and Long-Term Program for Education Reform and Development.

Usually, leaders of Chinese universities are given administrative grades as government officials. Presidents of some key universities are ranked at a vice minister level, while faculty heads could enjoy similar grades as deputy mayors.

Wang Zhimin, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, supported the government's new move, saying that the grades allow administrative power to override academic power and limits academic productivity.

Zhu Qingshi, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body, was also in support of the plan.

"Because of the grades, all operations of a university are decided by the administrative power, rather than through discussions among scholars," said Zhu, former president of the University of Science and Technology of China.

On the other hand, NPC deputy Ji Baocheng, also president of the Renmin University of China, said granting scholars administrative posts is a means to show respect for them.

"In a society where people tend to judge social statuses by administrative grades, taking the grades away from universities is like debasing education," Ji said.

NPC deputy Qin Shaode, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of Fudan University in Shanghai, also defended the system.

He said it is not true that everything in a university is decided by those holding administrative posts.

"Administrative roles are absolutely necessary," he said. "They include arranging personnel and distributing properties, security, and logistics."

Other deputies from academia offered somewhat middle-way opinions.

Yi Hong, president of the Southeast University in Jiangsu Province, said universities should guarantee that educators fully play their academic roles.

Yi said administrative power should not interfere in decision-making concerning establishing discipline and research areas.

Xu Zhihong, former president of Peking University, suggested that, currently, government authorities should not become much involved in the daily operations of universities.