A TOTAL of 1,000 rural primary schools across China will offer science and technology literacy courses to improve the scientific practice of rural students, the People’s Daily reported yesterday.

The project was launched Tuesday in Beijing at a seminar attended by nationwide experts and scholars in science and education. The project will spend 38 million yuan (US$5.50 million) offering courses, textbooks and teaching aids to 1,000 rural primary schools in more than 20 provincial-level regions, including Yunnan, Guangxi and Tibet.

Courses are mainly in the fields of artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, aerospace, agricultural science and life science.

In addition, 100 urban eminent teachers will be hired to provide online training courses for 10,000 rural teachers.

The project is supported by the Pingan Insurance Group.

China’s rural proportion of the scientifically-literate population last year was 4.93 percent, lower than the national average of 8.47 percent.

(Xinhua)