Chinaissuesguidelinestopreventthesocialtragedyofchildrenleftathomebymigrantparents
ByXiaYuanyuan
WhenZhangMengarrivedinDaxiongmaVillageearlythisyear,thesmallvillageinsouthwestChina’sYunnanProvincelookeddeserted.Mostofitsable-bodiedadultshadflockedtothecitiesforbetteropportunitiesandonlytheveryyoungandtheoldwereleftbehind.Thefieldslaybarrenwithnoonetofarmthemandsadderstill,thechildreninthevillagelivedlikevirtualorphans.
Theywerethe“left-behind”childrenofChina.Theirparentshadgonetoworkinthecities,puttingtheminthecareofagedgrandparentsorotherrelativeswhohadlittleresourcestobringupyoungpeople.Asaresult,thechildrenlackededucation,socialskillsandsecurity,oftensufferingfromdevelopmentalproblems.
ButZhang,astudentofTianjinNormalUniversitywhoisvolunteeringtoteachatthevillageprimaryschool,isdestinedtoseechanges.OnFebruary15,theStateCouncil,China’scabinet,releasedasetofguidelinestoaddresstheplightofthesechildren.Thedirectiveassignsresponsibilitiesbothtoparentsandlocalgovernmentstoensurethatthechildrenarecaredforandreceiveaneducation.
Thebackground
ThemediainChinahasplayedamajorroleinraisingpublicawarenessoftheplightofthesechildren.InJanuary,itcarriedaheart-rendingaccountofhowaseven-year-oldboyinsouthwestChina’sSichuanProvincewasseenrunningafteracar,tearsstreamingdownhisface.Hismotherwasinthecarandearlierhewastryinginvaintoholdontoherhands,screaming:“Youcan’ttreatmelikethis!”Buthismotherhadtoleavetoworkinanothercityandthecardroveoff,leavingthedesolateboybehind.
Imagesoftheweepingboygalvanizedpeopleintoaction,allthemoresobecauseitrevivedthememoryofatragedylastyear.InJune,fourleft-behindsiblingsinGuizhouProvinceinsouthwestChinadrankpesticideinanapparentsuicidepact,unabletocopewiththetraumaoflivingontheirown.ThedeathsmadePremierLiKeqiangorderaninvestigationandurgeforbettergovernmentsupervision.
Therehavealsobeencasesofleft-behindchildrenfallingpreytohumantraffickingortakingtocrime.
Preventingtragedy
Relevantorganizationshavebeenworkingtogaugethemagnitudeoftheproblemandfindsolutions.TheAll-ChinaWomen’sFederationissuedareportlastyearwhichsaidbyJune2015,therewereover61millionleftbehindchildrenintheruralareas.Theyaccountedfor37.7percentofChina’sruralchildpopulationand21.9percentoftheentirechildpopulationinthecountry.
Accordingtothe2015WhitePaperonLeft-behindChildren,thechildrenfacedseverepsychologicalandemotionaltrauma,whichwasdetrimentaltotheirdevelopment.
Thewhitepaperwastheresultofastudyco-producedbyanon-profitorganizationcalledOntheWaytoSchoolandagroupofpsychologistsfromBeijingNormalUniversity.
“Thekeysolutiontotheproblemismakingitpossibleforthechildrentolivetogetherwiththeirparents,”saidZhangXudong,anassociateresearcherattheChinaYouthandChildrenResearchCenter,anNGOcollaboratinginresearchtopromotechildren’srightsandimprovetheirwell-being.
TheguidelinesreleasedbytheStateCouncilsayparentshavetheprimaryresponsibilityinlookingafterminorchildren.Childrenundertheageof16shouldnotbeleftontheirown.Ifamigrantcouplecan’ttaketheirchildrenwiththem,oneparentshouldstaybehindtolookafterthelatter.Ifbothhavetogo,theymustappointaresponsibleguardianforthechildren.Buteventhen,theymustkeepinregulartouchwiththechildrenandvisitthemfrequentlytoseeiftheyoungstersarestudyingwellandarementallywell.
“Thisisasocialproblem,”saidTangQiyun,DirectorGeneralofChinaTravelVolunteer-EducationSupportGroup,anorganizationthatrecruitsvolunteerstoteachleft-behindchildreninruralareas.“Studentswhoareleft-behindchildrenareusuallydepressed,emotionallyunresponsiveanddetached.Theyalsohavepoorcommunicationcompetence.Thesechildrenneedsociety’scareandattention.Wehavetofindasolution.”
Educationisanimportanttooltohelpthechildrencope.Butleft-behindchildreninvillagesareusuallylookedafterbypeoplewhohavelittleornoeducationthemselvesandcan’tprovideadequateguidancetothem.Therefore,theseyoungstersarelikelytobecomeschooldropouts.Consequently,left-behindchildrenbecome“lagging-behind”children.
Recognizingthis,theguidelinesurgelocaleducationdepartmentstotakeeffectivemeasurestoensureleftbehindchildrendon’tdropoutofschoolduetopoverty.Schoolshavebeenaskedtoensureagoodeducationalenvironmentandstrengthenmentalhealtheducationtopreventpsychologicalproblemsandbadbehaviorinyoungsters.
“Itwillbehelpfuliftherearepsychologicalcounselorsforleft-behindchildren.Theyneedmoreprofessionalguidance,”ZhangMeng,avolunteerteacher,said.
Educationassavior
Whilestressingparents’primaryresponsibility,theguidelineshavedirectedlocalgovernmentsandvillagecommitteestostaywell-informedabouttheleft-behindchildrenintheirjurisdiction.Localgovernmentscancontactcharitiesandvoluntaryassociationstoprovidemoreprofessionalservicesforthechildren.
ChinaTravelVolunteer-EducationSupportGroupsentZhangMengtoDaxiongmatolendahandatthevillageprimaryschool.“Intheschool,70to80percentofthepupilsareleft-behindchildren.Therearemorethan100studentsbutonlyfourteachers,”ZhangtoldChinAfrica.
Hefoundthesamesadstoryunfoldinginhouseafterhouse.Fortheleft-behindchildren,parentsmeanttwostrangerswhovisitedthemonceayearduringtheSpringFestival,theChineseNewYear.Oncethecelebrationwasover,itwastimeforthemtoleaveandthechildrenfacedvirtualabandonmentonceagain.Whentheyoungsterswereconsideredoldenoughforeducation,theywerebundledofftothelittleprimaryschool.
However,Zhangfoundleft-behindchildrenhavelittleinterestintheirstudies.“Theydonotrealizetheimportanceofeducationasnooneevertellsthemtheycanchangetheirliveswithknowledge,”herued.
Inadditiontosteppingupsupervisionandensuringeducationforchildren,thegovernmentshouldalsoaddresssocialinequalitiesthataretherootcauseoftheseparationofchildrenfromparents,accordingtoTang.
“Toenableparentstolivewiththeirchildren,thegovernmentshouldfocusmoreonpreventingtheurbanrural[income]gapfromwidening,”Tangsaid.“Thentheycanworknottoofarawayfromhome.”
Forthattohappen,Tangsuggestsstrengtheningtheagriculturesectorandruralinfrastructure,whichwouldpromotethedevelopmentofruralregions.Thegovernmentshouldalsoexploreotheravenuestoincreasefarmers’incomessothattheydon’thavetoleavehome.CA