China will implement distance education projects for all primary
and middle schools in rural areas within five years in a bid to
promote educational development in rural society, Wang Zhan, vice
minister of education, said recently.
Wang Zhan made the remarks at a symposium held in the Great Hall of
the People in Beijing late in June for the first anniversary of the
promulgation and implementation of the China's first science
popularization law -- the Law on Popular Science.
According to Wang Zhan, the project will enable all middle schools
in rural areas to have their own computer rooms. All primary
schools in rural areas will have access to satellite education and
be equipped with CD players and whole-set educational CDs for
teaching. "We will try to realize development of rural education
through education modernization brought about by information
technology," he added.
In
order to carry out the project, 10 billion yuan ((US$1.21 billion)
has been earmarked for middle and western areas, disclosed Wang
Zhan. In addition, China will greatly promote science
popularization and educational activities among rural schools by
means of information technology.
With the implementation of the Law on Popular Science, China will
greatly push the reform of curriculum in primary and middle schools
and gradually devise a sci-tech education curriculum system for
teenagers. After the summer vacation, science lessons offered to
middle and primary schools, and currently trialed among 500 plus
counties, will be extended to the rest of the country, according to
Wang.
Wang also noted that during the 2001-2005 period, the central and
local governments will invest more than four billion yuan
(US$483.11million) to set up a batch of venues for extracurricular
activities for teenagers. The newly built venues will play a key
role in sci-tech education.
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian July 9, 2003)