BEIJING — China has seen a marked improvement in its physical and aesthetic education at primary and middle schools over the past five years, with more teachers and facilities in place, according to the Ministry of Education on Dec 14.

Wang Dengfeng, an official with the ministry, told a press conference that the number of teachers for physical and aesthetic education in the compulsory education stage in China reached nearly 600,000 and 750,000, respectively, last year.

The past five years also witnessed progress in ensuring sufficient and appropriate facilities and teaching equipment in the schools.

By the end of 2019, more than 90 percent of primary schools and 93 percent of middle schools across the country had met the standard set for the area of sports venues at school. The figures for the accessibility to sports apparatus topped 95.4 percent and 96.6 percent, respectively, Wang added.

Speaking of physical and aesthetic education in rural areas, Wang called for strengthened training programs and information technology applications to tackle the lack of educational resources in rural and remote areas.