Cassie Biggs writes how the Chinese government is closing down unlicensed schools for migrant children. The children attend such schools because they and their parents from rural areas are second-class citizens in the cities.

Migrant schools have officially existed since May 1998, when they were given five years in which to meet governmental standards for registration. Non-governmental groups have estimated that of the three million children who accompany their parents to cities seeking work, more than half lack education, either because their parents lack the relevant hukou (residence permit), or because of lack of access to schools catering to their needs. "By closing those poor ones, we hope to focus our efforts on well-managed private schools that offer quality education and a sound environment," explains Mao Fang, an official with Shanghai's city's education commission.

But the urban schools still resist enrolling the migrant children. Even if they do get the much desired urban residence permit, there is still prejudice against "peasants":

"The discrimination is subtle, but in China very deep-rooted," says Yi. "Migrants are looked down upon because they dress differently or don't speak the standard Mandarin. They are thought of as rude, dirty and a drain on a city's resources."

I can't help but wonder whether it's actually an effort to improve the schooling for the migrant children or an effort to control everything; so much of what the Chinese government does is about maintaining control.

Update
A China Daily article saying the Chinese government issues a decree to protect migrant workers. They issue a lot of decrees, but it's better than nothing.