China promotes digital education in poor regions

China's Ministry of Education has unveiled measures to train teachers and improve infrastructure for digital education in impoverished areas.

Students take their lessons using digital devices in the Qingnian Road primary school in Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, November 6. 2012. [File Photo: VCG]

The ministry will hold digital education training programs for the management staff and headmasters of primary and middle schools in poverty-stricken areas, according to a directive issued by the general office of the ministry earlier this week.

It will organize donations of digital teaching equipment and sharing of high-quality digital education resources and services, the document said.

Around 1 million tailored mobile phones, which carry particular apps for learning Mandarin, will be distributed to impoverished areas.

The Open University of China, a new type of university supported by modern information technologies, will assist building 40 "cloud classrooms" for poverty-stricken areas, it said.

Digital courses will be provided for primary and middle schools in the regions and local faculty will receive technical guidance to improve the efficiency of using these resources.