BEIJING, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- China Distance Education
Holdings Limited (NYSE: DL) ("CDEL" or the "Company"), a leading provider of
online education in China focusing on professional education, today announced
that the Company has obtained approval to offer study process monitoring
programs for self-taught higher education learners in Beijing and has signed a
multi-year contract with Beijing City University, a designated administrator
in Beijing, to offer the program.
China's self-taught higher education program does not require students to
enroll in or physically attend a traditional college or university or pass its
Uniform Entrance Exams (Gaokao). Instead, students register for the program
and study on their own. A degree is granted by the Ministry of Education (MOE)
once students pass all exams relating to the degree and major for which they
are studying, and satisfy certain other requirements. Traditionally, 100% of
students' exam scores come from the exams offered by the MOE or its designated
bodies; however, with this approval, Beijing students enrolled in CDEL's study
process monitoring program will obtain a certain percentage of their exam
score from the studying process monitoring program.
"Our study process monitoring program for self-taught higher education
learners continues to gain momentum as we believe this program helps students
improve their passing rates on self-taught higher education exams, which
traditionally have low passing rates. Students actually study better with
these specially designed high quality online courses that monitor their
studying and provide help and support along the process," commented Mr.
Zhengdong Zhu, Chairman and CEO of CDEL. "Following the successful program
launch in Tianjin Province, we are delighted to join forces with Beijing City
University to extend our course offerings in Beijing. Beijing represents a
significant market opportunity for our self-taught learners program.
Statistics published by the MOE suggest that there are nearly ten million
higher education examination takers nationwide each year, with Beijing
contributing roughly 600,000. Looking forward, we will continue to promote
this program in other provinces and we anticipate it to become one of our
major growth drivers."
About China Distance Education Holdings Limited
China Distance Education Holdings Limited is a leading provider of online
education in China focusing on professional education. The courses offered by
the Company through its websites are designed to help professionals and other
course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and
certifications necessary to pursue careers in China in the areas of accounting,
law, healthcare, construction engineering, information technology and other
industries. The Company also offers online test preparation courses to self-
taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees and to secondary
school and college students preparing for various academic and entrance exams.
In addition, the Company offers online foreign language course.
For more information, please contact:
China Distance Education Holdings Limited
Ping Wei, CFO
Tel: +86-10-8233-3101
Email: IR@cdeledu.com
Investor Relations (HK):
Ruby Yim, Managing Director
Taylor Rafferty
Tel: +852-2167-2008
Email: cdel@taylor-rafferty.com
Investor Relations (US):
Mahmoud Siddig, Director
Taylor Rafferty
Tel: +1-212-889-4350
Email: cdel@taylor-rafferty.com
Media Contact:
John Dudzinsky, Director
Taylor Rafferty
Tel: +1-212-889-4350
Email: cdel@taylor-rafferty.com
SOURCE China Distance Education Holdings Limited
CHINA DISTANCE EDUCATION HOLDINGS LIMITED 
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