SHANGHAI, Aug. 30 -- HIGH school students in Beijing now are not required to learn the history of World Wars as education authority have downgraded them to "selective study" in newly revised history textbooks.

The textbooks, composed of nine books, are expected to go into use by almost 65,000 high-school students in Beijing this September, the Beijing News reported today.

Three of the books were labeled as required studies while the other six are elective material, including the study of "World Wars."

The new textbooks focus on one topic each, such as politics, economics and culture rather than looking at history chronologically, the report said.

Some scholars say they are worried the move will leave many students ignorant of the important roles World Wars have played in history and the effects they have had on China, the report said.

Some schools said they will still make the two world wars required reading for art students and will also recommend science students learn about them, the report said.

Chinese high school students can pick one or two subjects from either art or science courses for the four- or five-subject national college entrance examination along with Chinese, English and mathematics.

Generally speaking, art students will be tested more on history knowledge, while in some provinces science students don't need to sit a history exam at all.