Pyongyang, March 1 (KCNA) -- The educational sector in the DPRK is pushing ahead with the work to improve the educational level of schools in rural areas and the academic level of local universities.

Competent teachers of central-level universities such as Kim Il Sung University and Kim Chaek University of Technology and provincial-level universities conducted a number of practical courses on the spot or through video-conferences for local universities.

At the same time, they disseminated numerous teaching data and latest sci-tech information and co-wrote dozens of kinds of textbooks. Through the process, they played a great role in improving the qualifications of teachers of local universities.

The Central Teaching Institute and some educational units in Pyongyang conducted the work to assist in education of schools in the countryside and mountainous areas. The instructors of provincial teaching institutes and city and county teachers' retraining institutes and the excellent teachers of urban schools went to schools in rural areas and mountainous areas to improve the qualifications of teachers and students' abilities through training courses, class demonstrations, inspections of classes and discussions on teaching.

As a result, there has been a significant improvement in the qualifications of many rural school teachers and the educational level of thousands of rural schools throughout the country in recent years.

Meanwhile, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education and other universities launched the work to improve the practical ability of final-year students for teaching majors in diverse forms and by various methods. This led up to the competition among the universities and colleges in the capital city and local areas. As a result, progress has been made in raising the educational level of regional teacher-training universities and colleges to the level of those in the capital city. -0-