Chinese Schools Modern Distance Education Project in Rural Areas

A Schools Modern Distance Education Project was organized and implemented in the rural areas of China from 2003 to 2007 after an approval of the State Council of China. The project aimed at promoting compulsory education balanced development, facilitating educational modernization through ICT application in education, and achieving development of rural education. The project constructed a distance education network that could benefit rural primary and secondary students nationwide. By the end of 2007, the project had installed 440 142 instructional DVD players, 264 905 sets of digital satellite-receiving sites, and 40858 computers classrooms, covering nearly all rural elementary and secondary schools. Through the implementation of this project, the Chinese government explored a feasible approach for developing countries to develop rural distance education at lower cost, larger scale, and higher speed.