The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has announced it will select an additional 211 schools to subsidize in farming and fishing villages.

The ministry began selecting the rural schools to fund in 2010, and the addition brings the total to 289. That’s roughly 12 percent of all elementary and middle schools in rural areas.

The ministry said the subsidies are aimed at promoting scholastic abilities and developing special skills based on an educational environment that is eco-friendly.