BEIJING -- The Ministry of Education is encouraging primary and secondary schools in the northern part of China to open winter sports courses.

Schools in the southern part of the country should cooperate with local ice and snow stadiums and clubs, so that students can join more winter sports, according to a plan jointly formulated by the Ministry of Education, General Administration of Sport of China and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

According to the plan, China will have 2,000 schools featuring winter sports courses by 2020 and the number will reach 5,000 by 2025.

In 2015, China was awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics.