NPC proposal would benefit left-behind children

Steady, long-term operation of service providers for left-behind children should be part of the overall rural revitalization plan of the country, with specific standards for regional governments to ensure that the children are well taken care of, under a proposal put forward on Thursday by Zhi Yueying, a deputy to the National People's Congress.

Zhi is also a rural teacher in Zaoxia town in Fengxin county of Yichun, Jiangxi province. She said those service providers, such as countryside boarding schools and community service centers, are a good supplement for the family education of children whose parents work far from home. But their operation faces many challenges in funding and staffing.

The benefit of village teachers and service workers involving left-behind children should be safeguarded to maintain their passion for the work, she said, adding that local governments should work to manage the operations.

Moreover, workers from schools and communities should routinely visit the children's homes to educate their guardians about their responsibilities, by talking to the children and teachers regularly.?

Left-behind children are usually taken care of by their grandparents, many of whom were not well-educated and can only provide accommodations for the younger generation. During school breaks, left-behind children face academic hardships, as well as safety risks, when they lack proper care from capable guardians, Zhi said.

She added that left-behind children will have more psychological problems than other children, because they lack care and communication from their parents for extended periods.

In May 2018, the State Council released a guideline on construction of small-scale rural schools and boarding schools that provided basic instruction for the care of left-behind children.

Tang Ziye contributed to the story.