Prepare schools for migrant workers' children

More and more migrant workers' children will come into the cities and the government must reform the education system, says an article in the 21st Century Business Herald (excerpts below).

A report by the All-China Women's Federation says China has about 61.02 million "left-behind" children and 35.81 million migrant children under 18. Both categories have risen compared to figures for 2005.

The number of "left-behind" children has risen by 4 percent, but the figures for migrant children has increased by 41.37 percent.

The central government must coordinate education and welfare reform in the cities to take these figures into account.

The urbanization of China should be a process of admitting and welcoming newcomers to the growing cities. Granting migrant workers' the full benefits is the very starting point of urbanization.

Of course, nothing can be rushed into. The problem will take planning and time.

But this must not be an excuse to do nothing.

Tens of millions of migrant children are waiting.