More than 2,000 schools in central and western China will share 4.4 billion yuan (US$644 million) from the central budget to improve infrastructure, the Ministry of Education said on Monday.

The investment, to be distributed before the end of December, would be used to improve school buildings and add teaching facilities, said spokeswoman Xu Mei.

More than 1 million students in the central and western areas, which are less developed than coastal regions, would benefit from the funds, she said.

Xu said the funding was made possible after the State Council, the country's Cabinet, decided to allocate 100 billion yuan from the central budget before the end of this year to support infrastructure projects in the areas of housing, education, health care, employment and environmental protection.

Of the total investment, 3 billion yuan would be used to build or renovate buildings at 1,600 schools in central and west China. The projects would include new boarding facilities such as beds, costing 200 million yuan, which would provide accommodation to some 400,000 students from remote rural areas.

Xu said 1 billion yuan would be given to vocational schools to construct laboratories and training stations.

Special education schools for disabled children would receive 400 million yuan to improve school buildings and health recovery facilities.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2008)