BEIJING — The Ministry of Finance has allocated 1.985 billion yuan (about $292 million) in a special fund to support the training of village teachers in middle and primary schools and kindergartens.

The ministry urges educational departments to make proper use of the funds to better support training programs in poverty-stricken regions.

Various training means including off-site training and online courses will be used to enhance the teaching faculty in central and western China, the ministry said.

The arrangement was made to implement a national plan aiming to support village teachers from 2015 to 2020.

From 2010 to 2019, the central government has earmarked more than 15.78 billion yuan for such training programs.