The year 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the nationwide aid program to Tibet. China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng vowed to provide more assistance to the Tibet Autonomous Region during the anniversary video conference and urged the country to continue to support its education, employment,science and technology, to help the region's development.

Because education assistance to Tibet is an important part of Tibet's development, China Tibet Online has compiled the top 10 news items which record the region's progress in education in 2014.

1.Tibet allocates 62 million yuan to improve school meals

Tibet allocated 62 million yuan to the nutrition improvement project for students at the age of compulsory education in rural areas in spring 2014, which benefitted more than 200,000 students.

The Nutrition Improvement Plan was started in 2012 and covers all compulsory education schools of 74 counties in pasturing areas of Tibet (excluding schools in urban areas).

According to the plan, there is a subsidy of up to 600 yuan for each student, which comes from three yuan each day of the 200 school days in a year.

2.Village teachers'subsidy increased in Tibet

In a bid to mobilize teachers to work in the remote counties and villages, multiple incentives policies were issued to improve teachers’ salaries and living conditions in Tibet.

LobsangJamcan, chairman of the government of the Tibet, said at the Teacher's Work Conference held on Sept.7, 2014, that the village teachers’monthly subsidy will be greatly increased over the next two years.

In 2016, each village teacher can get a 500-yuan living subsidy per month in the second-tier areas, a 1,000-yuan living subsidy per month in the third-tier areas, and a 1,500 yuan living subsidy per month in the fourth-tier areas.

3.70 pct Tibetan students go to universities

Tibet plans to enroll 13,662 university students in 2014, which means 70 percent of Tibetan examinees can go to universities.

According to statistics, there were 19,625 Tibetan students attending the university entrance examination this year, of which 12,126 are from agricultural and pastoral areas.

4.Preschool education booming in Tibet

Tibet had 613 kindergartens by the end of 2013, and the enrollment rate of preschool education hit 52 percent in 2014.

Tibet launched the project for three-year preschool bilingual education in downtown areas and two-year preschool bilingual education in agricultural and pastoral areas.

According to the plan, 95 percent of children from downtown and 85 percent of children from rural areas in Tibet will go to kindergartens in 2015.

5.Tibetan language to get more legal protection

Authorities in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region in 2014 have enacted a new legally binding regulation to safeguard the heritage and development of the Tibetan language.

The regulation enshrines the study, usage, and development of the Tibetan language in law.