For many years, university students from rural area do not return to the frontline of the rural areas after graduation and the shaky preliminary education in rural areas provides very little chance for children to enter university. Nowadays, the modern remote education makes possible the higher education to extend into rural areas.

At a press conference held recently by the Ministry of Education Wu Qidi, the Vice-minister announced, it is going to launch a program for bringing up "one university student in every village". By using modern method of Tele-education, higher education will be extended to rural areas according to the program and help educate a batch of technical and administrative personnel who are able to "stay in rural areas and are of practical use there".

Via the network of the Central Radio and TV University as well as the system for radio and TV education throughout the country and by combining supreme education resources and practical courses of agricultural universities, said Wu, the program will adopt modern methods of tele- education as of broadcasting, television, satellite and internet for realizing the purpose. It will transmit higher education to the Learning Centers situated at county and village by way of national remote learning stations. The higher professional education offered by the Central Radio and TV University is the major form for remote education as suchlike in rural areas. Every village will bring up one university student each year, i.e. to nurture people with practical skills and management knowledge at a higher level.

To cater to the characteristics of adult's learning, the Ministry will work out tailor-made policies for the program. The program is listed as something special. Studying at home, the students do not need to transfer their household registration once admitted. Under the program the students enjoy much freedom in their study. Upon obtaining enough credits, they will be granted diploma, a nationwide valid certificate.

The target students of the program are mainly young people with senior high school education (including vocational schools) in rural areas. The demobilized soldiers, models in applying agricultural techniques, cadres of village, heads of local leading enterprises, crackerjacks good at making fortune by science and technology are encouraged to participate. The teachings rely on television, network, lecturing and individual tutorship and study group. The exam system will be reformed and certificate management system will be established so that the communication and linking-up between the two different educational systems, i.e. the system offering diploma and the system offering no diploma.

In order to carry out the program, the Central Radio and TV University plans to make a try of the project in 100 counties. Along with local radio and TV universities, it will inject an investment of 20 million yuan into 1,000 counties in the west. The admission of students begins this July. The total number of enrolled students will hit 200, 000 in five years.

(People's Daily February 28, 2004)