The State Council issued a plan to support the work of teachers and improve working conditions in rural areas on June 8.

The plan will bridge the rural-urban gap in education by attracting more people to teach in rural areas, provides them with better salaries and will help improve their teaching skills.

Developing education in rural areas is an endeavor for today, but a source of hope for tomorrow, the plan said, and building a qualified pool of teachers for rural education is a significant way to achieve that goal.

However, a number of problems, such as the uneven development of urban and rural areas, inconvenient transportation and poor conditions in rural schools, have restricted the sustainable and healthy development of education in rural areas, the plan said.

The plan suggests several measures to overcome these problems:

* Enhance the political and moral education of teachers working in rural areas.

* Expand the supplement channels of rural teachers. Give special support for enrolling teachers in central and western underdeveloped regions.

* Raise salaries for teachers working in rural areas and improve their living standards. Related subsidy policies should be implemented and rural teachers should enjoy favorable healthcare and housing policies.

* Favorable policies will be given to teachers working in rural areas when it comes to ranking and job titles.

* Outstanding teachers from cities will be encouraged to teach in rural areas.