Migrant Children
China's rural areas are estimated to have between 100 million and 150 million surplus farmers, many of whom leave their homes to seek work in the city. About 19 million children are believed to accompany their parents when they migrate, and many lack adequate access to health care, education, and other basic services. Migrants and their children face strong discrimination that diminishes their life quality and hurts their chances of success. Parents of migrant children, for example, usually must pay extra to send children to schools outside their home province or district. Some are unable to speak the local dialect, making learning difficult. Special schools have been created for migrant children, but teachers are often less qualified and facilities substandard. In addition, many migrant schools are not officially recognized, so even if migrant children graduate, they don't receive a recognized diploma. Migrants are also vulnerable during and after migration. During this transitional time, when girls and women migrate from their villages seeking work, they are often deceived and sold. Most male children who are trafficked come from migrant families.
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