From the Readers

Rural teenagers need attention

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-03 07:49

Comment on "Education: City lights lure young learners" (China Daily, Aug 31)

I am a college student from the countryside. Many of my childhood playmates, however, left school long ago. Some of them didn't even finish the nine-year compulsory education. Now, they either work on farms or have become migrant workers, struggling in the cities.

I think an important reason for the high dropout rate in rural areas is the lack of encouragement teenagers get to study. Those who are not good at studies gradually lose interest in school to such an extent that they start fearing attending classes.

Most of the schools and teachers are used to ignoring such "backward" students, and their farmer parents are often too busy working in the fields to care for their education. That's why many rural students drop out of schools. Rural teenagers, especially those who are not naturals with books, need more encouragement to build their confidence.

Larry Sue, via e-mail

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(China Daily 09/03/2010 page9)