China has named a total of 556 elementary and secondary schools across the country as Olympic Education Model Schools in an effort to promote the Olympic Movement among its 400 million youngsters.

A ceremony was held Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in eastern China's Shandong province and a co-host city of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, to announce BOCOG and the Education Ministry's decision to award the name-plates to 356 schools, in addition to the 200 schools in Beijing which were recognized as Olympic Education Model School in December last year and June this year.

The 556 schools, among them 404 secondary and 152 elementary, include schools for special education, sports, for students of ethnic groups, students from other countries and vocational education.

One of the priorities of the preparatory work of Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics is to carry out Olympic education among teenagers, advocate the Olympic spirit, widespread Olympic knowledge and promote physical training of school children.

The Olympic education program, jointly launched by BOCOG and the Education Ministry, is aimed at spreading Olympic knowledge, promoting Beijing Olympic concepts, goals and preparations among the students, with an aim to deepen their understanding of Olympic Movement and involve them into active preparatory work.

Editor: Wing