Migrants' children need more access to education

A spokesperson of the Beijing education authority told a press conference on August 2 that the capital city has admitted about 400,000 children from families of the floating population into the city's compulsory education institutions. This number equals about 50 percent of that of local children of the compulsory education age.

The floating population, sometimes also called "migrant workers" or "city-bound rural workers", refers to people seeking jobs in cities other than their hometowns for various reasons. Because of the regional disparities in administrative rules and laws, the floating families are often unable to enjoy the same access to public services in their host cities as the local dwellers.

Beijing has obviously taken numerous measures to overcome the long-term and common problem of accepting so many children into its local education institutions. According to the spokesperson, Beijing education authorities had several successful experiences from the process.