China to further ensure right to education of migrant workers' children

BEIJING -- China will continue to guarantee the right to compulsory education of children of migrant workers, promoting equal access to schooling, the Ministry of Education said Wednesday.

The number of children migrating to urban areas with their parents amid their nine-year compulsory education period reached 14.3 million in 2020, a surge of 626,000 from 2015, Lyu Yugang, head of the MOE's basic education department, told a press conference.

The year 2020 saw 85.8 percent of these children studying in either public schools or private schools with the expense subsidized by the government. The figure stands just shy of the national public school enrollment rate of 89.2 percent, said Lyu.

The ministry will further improve policies regarding the admission of migrant workers' children, especially in megacities and key regions with mass population inflow, so as to ensure that all school-age children have access to compulsory education, Lyu said.

Lyu added that educational resources in urban areas will be further boosted to meet the needs of the ever-growing resident population.

Calling for more care for children of migrant workers, Lyu said efforts will also be made to help them adapt to school life and promote their all-round growth.