BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China plans to recruit 4,000 retired teachers to give classes in rural schools during the 2019-2020 school year, in an effort to improve education in rural areas.

The "silver-age" project is open to veteran headmasters and teachers under the age of 65, the Ministry of Education said in a statement.

The volunteer teachers will serve for at least one academic year, and those who pass assessments will be encouraged to extend their service, the ministry said.

In addition to giving classes, they can also evaluate other teachers' work, hold open lectures or workshops, give guidance and help schools improve their management.