THE Chinese Government is supporting projects to improve the skills of teachers in rural areas and distance education in Laos, aiming to promote educational development in the country.

A launching ceremony for the China-aided project of technical support for distance education was held in Vientiane, capital of Laos, on Wednesday.

The project, to be implemented by the Shanghai Education Publishing House, mainly includes the establishment of 20 distance education training points throughout Laos, among which are 19 distance education training centers and one distance education training resource center.

China will help Laos formulate the National Information Technology (ICT) skill standards for primary and secondary school teachers and students, develop ICT skill training resources for teachers, and compile ICT books for teachers and students.

In his speech at the ceremony, Miao Hongcai, director of the Shanghai Education Publishing House, shared with the participants the rich experiences of his publishing house in information technology (IT) education.

He hoped these experiences will assist Laos to improve the quality and level of IT education in the country.

“I believe that with the close cooperation of all parties, the project will definitely add a great touch to the long-term friendship between China and Laos,” said Miao.

(Xinhua)