149four student from Anhui province who had been studying at Xiji central primary
school since Grade one indicated that his 13 year old sister had transferred back
to hometown junior secondary to ensure entry to senior secondary school. He said
he would also probably be sent back. Migrant children who go back to home areas
can have adaptation problems due to the regional educational differences and to
separation from parents and siblings.
Beijing government’s admission policy for migrant children has divided these
children into two types: the children who hold rural resident identity will enjoy the
“two exemptions and one subsidy” support once they have all the six certificates
(temporary residence permits, household register book, one-child certificate, par-
ents’ Beijing employment contract, no-guardian status certified by birthplace, hous-
ing/purchase agreement); the other migrant children hold city residence identity and
will pay 200 yuan for each migrant child every semester at primary and 500 yuan at
lower secondary. Obtaining all six of the necessary certificates may not be easy.
7.3 Left-Behind Children
Left-behind children refers to children whose parent or parents have migrated for
work or for other reasons leaving children in the care of relatives or other care giv-
ers. Left behind children are the counterpoint to migrant children and have been
increasing in number. The National Women’s Federation released National Rural
Left-Behind Children, Rural Migrant Children Status Research Report, in 2013 using
data based on a sample of 1.26 million households drawn from China’s sixth nation-
wide census. This shows that there are about 61 million left-behind children in rural
areas, accounting for up to 38 % of the declining number of rural children. Sichuan
and Henan have the largest proportions left-behind children, accounting for 11.3 and
10.7 % of all children. The majority of left-behind children live with their grandpar-
ents or others, though there appear to be about 3.4 % of left-behind children living
alone. The largest numbers live in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Beijing.
In this research, Ansai County, Shaanxi Province and Zhaojue County Sichuan
Province are both areas with significant numbers of left behind children raised by
elders or relatives because of migrant parents. Ansai has relatively good transport
links and connections with fast growing areas of China. Zhaojue County is located
in the east of Daliangshan, and is a national-level poor county that is very remote.
Compared with Ansai County, Zhaojue has a smaller proportion of left-behind
children. As a national minority area with Yi speaking people the demand for work
outside is less than it is in Ansai and its migrant workers are mostly unmarried
young men without children.
Left-behind children are a growing problem in many rural areas and some towns.
It is widely believed that parents work outside the home has a negative impact on
growth and development of left-behind children and that mental health and physical
development should receive special attention. Some of the main reasons for concern
with left behind children identified by informants include the following.
7.2 Migrant Children in Urban Areas