Peach Garden s unofficial status, in a country still hidebound by bureaucracy, ensures a succession of troubles. Some children living far from the school commute daily by bus. But to obtain a discounted fare, like local children pay, the school must apply with an official chop, which it is not allowed to produce. Of course, the school s legal status is my biggest worry, admitted Zhang. But no one can say I violate the country s constitution.
Every child has a right to education.
Bai Wenyu, researcher for the Ford Foundation s project on the education of migrant children, has visited 114 migrant schools in Beijing over the last two years. Ranging from just 9 pupils to over 1,000, about half were established in the more tolerant environment of 1998. Bai estimates there are currently 200 to 300 migrant schools in Beijing. The number is still growing to accommodate over 100,000 migrant children aged between 7 to 15. Educational levels among migrant school founders vary greatly.