BEIJING -- China rolled out a host of measures to nurture teaching staff in rural areas in 2018, said an official with the Ministry of Education (MOE) at a press conference Friday.

The central government allocated 4.5 billion yuan ($660 million) to benefit 1.27 million rural teachers in 2018, said Ren Youqun, head of the Department of Teacher Education under the MOE.

In 2018, China recruited over 85,000 college graduates in a program sending graduates to teach in rural areas for three years, and attracted 45,000 other college graduates to teach in rural areas by providing government-financed education.

China also carried out schemes to recruit 24,000 teachers and 1,800 outstanding retired teachers to teach as volunteers in the countryside.

Via an education support program, China sent 4,000 volunteer teachers to Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2018, said the official.

More than 1.2 million rural teachers and principals received trainings in 2018. Meanwhile, a program to train and award outstanding young teachers in rural areas was implemented, with a reward of 10,000 yuan for each person.

In 2019, China will further improve the treatment of rural teachers, enhance their social status and improve their professional abilities, said the ministry.