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| Global Times | May 29, 2012 20:55 By Global Times |
It is not uncommon for families to have three or four kids, all under the care of elderly grandparents. Photo: CFP
Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, has garnered a sad reputation. Tens of thousands of its children are known as "left-over children," spread across 280 townships. All of them have seen their parents move far away to find work in cities, leaving the kids in the care of their grandparents.
These left-over children are turning into a crisis across China's rural areas, particularly its western provinces. It is estimated that more than 240 million rural residents have migrated to cities in search of employment, with many unable to bring their children due to the high cost of living and education.
Liangshan has no industries to call its own, leading to an even bigger chunk of the population moving away. As a consequence, more than 36,000 school-age children are left behind to attend kindergartens or schools. This number swells dramatically if children under the age of 6 are included.
Life in the mountainous prefecture is tough, as 11 of its 17 counties are recognized by the State Council as being poverty-struck. Many of the grandparents are aging and need help to look after themselves. As such, elder children have to grow up fast and shoulder the burden of supporting a family, including taking care of younger siblings.
Although most migrant workers return hometown at least once a year for Spring Festival, however, those who hail from remote mountainous areas like Liangshan, often stay away for years at a time to save every cent they can.
A visitor to the region would be astonished by the poor living conditions these children are exposed to. The hope that their parents can make enough money and move them to cities for a brighter life is a common but distant one.
Global Times
A child peeps through a traditional cloak of the Yi people in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Photo: CFP
The absence of parents leads elder children to babysit their younger siblings. Photo: CFP
A boy relieves himself as he walks along. Photo: CFP
Pupils playing on the way to school. Photo: CFP
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