Parents appeal for right to equal education

Some 300 parents gathered at the Ministry of Education's complaints office yesterday morning in a bid to meet the Minster of Education, Yuan Guiren, to appeal for changes in school entrance examination policies for migrant children in Beijing.

The parents, all non-Beijing hukou (household registration) holders living in the capital, whose children attend Beijing schools, came to negotiate over the current exam policy.  

The parents, who connected via online forums, arrived at the ministry in Xicheng district at 9:30 am, wearing badges reading "Education for All." It was their 21st visit to the office since July last year, although the groups were smaller previously. They have sent 13 letters to the Minister since February 6 asking for a meeting with him.

The current nationwide policy means that students who are registered elsewhere in the country must return to their hometowns to sit college entrance examinations, rather than where they actually live. Middle school students can sit entrance examinations for senior high schools; however they must pay extra fees to attend the school. 

"But our children attend Beijing schools. The textbooks, school environment and exams are different in our hometown," said Zhou Yanping, one of the campaigners.

"Leaving children alone in the hometown for a big exam like this worries us. Some children have no choice but to go abroad for college," she said.

Currently more than 87,000 parents nationwide have signed the appeal to remove the "hukou restrictions in education," said a mother surnamed Tan, from Shanxi Province.

Tan has worked in Beijing since 1992. Her 16-year-old son must sit his college exam in Shanxi, but as he is not locally registered at a school, there will be consequences for his future study.

"There are restrictions in applying for universities, as most prefer to enroll high school graduates with normal school registration," Tan said.

Another mother, who has a 2-year-old daughter, has joined the group.   

"If I don't start now, my daughter might have the same fate," she said.