MO training centers, however popular among the Chinese people, are not recommended to majority of students in the country. (Photo : Reuters)
China's Ministry of Education said that roughly 358,000 teachers were hired in the past year to serve in primary and middle schools in rural areas across the country, Xinhua reported.
In 2014, the ministry also spent 4.4 billion yuan to provide professional training programs for local teachers, and organized exchange programs that benefited over 500,000 educators. The figures were revealed in a report that explored developments in China's compulsory education.
With these moves, the ministry hopes to improve the overall quality of teachers in primary and middle schools, enhance the allocation of educational resources, as well as reduce the disparities between urban and rural education.
These developments were reported just a day after China's central authorities promised to reform the country's educational system, public hospitals and juror system.
Officials who attended the 11th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform on April 1, Wednesday, approved a five-year plan to support rural teachers. Some of the approved proposals include raising the salaries of teachers, enhancing their political and moral awareness, and urging urban teachers to transfer to rural schools.
In a statement, central leaders who were in the meeting believed that education in rural locations in central and western China has been the weakest link in efforts to revamp the educational system.
Chinese leaders added that poverty could be stopped by providing equal educational opportunities for all children.
"It is crucial that every child receives an equal education so as to stop poverty spreading to the next generation," the Chinese leaders said in a statement.
