BEIJING: Experts recently called for the ramping up of funds and more supportive policies to enable children who have moved to cities with their migrant worker parents to access equitable, high-quality, suitable education near their temporary homes in the urban areas.
The number of migrant workers rose to 385 million in 2021, a year-on-year rise of 9 million people, according to a report released in February by the New Citizen Program, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the welfare of migrant children.
Parents seeking better-paid opportunities as migrant workers in urban areas either have to leave their children in the countryside or bring them along to resettle in an unfamiliar place.
In 2020, the number of children from the migrant workforce was about 130 million, accounting for over 40 percent of all minors, the report said.
Among them, the number of migrant children — who moved with their parents to cities or towns — was estimated to have reached nearly 71.1 million in 2020, meaning one in every four children in the country belonged to this group, the report said, adding that they still experienced difficulties accessing basic public services.
For example, in 2021, only 61.6 percent of migrant children were enrolled in government-subsidized public kindergartens, which was 26 percentage points lower than the national average. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
