Beijing Establishes Schools for Children of 'Floating' Parents

In the morning of September 3rd, 120 children whose parents are not local people but working in Beijing entered into the first standard school built up for them by the municipal government in Jinding Street of Shijingshan District and started their junior courses happily. In the past these children were only able to study in narrow, crowded and unlicensed schools.

According to Ms Liu Lirong from the education bureau of Shijingshan District, it is always a trouble for the children of floating people. In Shijingshan, most of 'floating' parents are engaged in planting or trading in markets and cannot get too many returns for their labor. The high tuition fee of standard schools limits the entry of their children. Thus these children have to be sent to unlicensed schools. Currently, there are 20 primary schools and one middle school in the district with more than 3,200 students. All these do not get any official permission and are also in poor condition.

To enable all these children to receive standard education, local government established this special school on the base of the Jinding Street professional junior school. In order that the parents could afford to send their children to the school, it only charges the original tuition fee permitted by the government and will supply these children with experienced teachers. Any measure that can reduce the expenses has been taken by the school authority and unnecessary expenses are cut down, such as the fee for school uniform. Parents said happily that from now on, their children could not be looked down upon any longer.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/