BEIJING -- Education Minister Chen Baosheng has called for greater efforts to promote education 2.0 in rural areas, China Education Daily reported on Thursday.

Toward that goal, new plans on the distribution of rural schools should be made and the standards of small village schools and township boarding schools should be improved, said Chen at an education conference held in northwest China's Qinghai province Tuesday.

He also urged reform in rural schools on the basis of well-trained teachers and the utilization of information technology, as well as integrated urban-rural development in education.

In addition, the ministry also called for continued efforts to reduce the dropout rate in compulsory education to contribute to the country's fight against poverty.