After three years of trials and perseverance, the Beijing
municipal government has finally relented and granted a license to
a school for rural migrant workers' children.
A simple and frugal ceremony marked the legal operation of Xingzhi
School. More than 1,000 students from migrant farmer-workers'
families and their teachers have been waiting for this day for
over?three years.
But although Xingzhi has reached the government's standards,
officials are still hesitant to grant permits to other similar
private schools, which are poorly equipped.
Sun Yong, Deputy Director of Education Dept. of Daxing District of
Beijing, said: "It's really hard for us to grant licenses to such
schools. In this district, there are 30 or so schools operating
illegally."
It is 18 years since China launched its 9-year compulsory education
system. Education has been made a priority in this country with 1.3
billion people, but rapid social changes have brought new
problems.
China's economic boom has attracted a large number of people from
the countryside to work in the cities. But how to have their kids
well educated has become a headache for many migrant families. And
schools like this one have been set up to meet their demands.
Children like these are virtually barred from public city schools
because of extra fees they have to pay. And that makes attending
unlicensed schools for migrant farmer-workers' children their only
choice.
But unlike public schools which are financed by the government,
schools for migrant farmer-workers' kids have to rely solely on
tuition fees. Xingzhi School can only afford 50 teachers for its
1,200 students.
Despite this, migrant farmer-workers prefer to send their kids
here, rather than leave them behind in the countryside.
A migrant farmer-worker said: "I have thought about the problems.
But the quality of education here is much better than at
home."
For Xinghi's headmaster, these young people must be given a fair
education before it's too late.
Huang He, Headmaster of Xingzhi School, said: "We are obligated to
provide equal education opportunities to every child. With a good
education, these migrant children will become a major force for
China's future, at least, for the development of rural
China."
Latest official statistics show there are almost 300,000 migrant
farmer-workers' children in Beijing. But of the 300 private schools
set up for them, less than 30 have a legal license.
(CCTV October 19, 2004)