The Chinese Ministry of Education will launch the second round of its plan to support educational development in relatively poor western areas in September.

Under the plan, educational institutions in better developed eastern areas will send teachers or donate money, books or computers to those in western regions, or provide skill training for teachers in western areas.

"The backward educational system in poor western areas is a major hindrance to local economic and social development, and we will continue to organize educational institutions in eastern areas to help schools and universities in the western regions," said an official with the ministry's Department for Basic Education, quoted by Friday's China Daily.

The plan, highly regarded by the Chinese government, has proven successful since the first round was launched in 1992, added the official.

The ministry's statistics show that in the last decade, Beijing, Shanghai and 10 other eastern cities or provinces sent 973 teachers and donated more than 78 million yuan (9.4 million U.S. dollars) as well as many books and computers to the Tibet Autonomous Region and other western provinces or autonomous regions.

Such assistance has played an important role in ensuring students in poor western regions continue to receive an education.

(People's Daily May 3, 2002)