Greenhouse transforms into school for children

Posted: May 10, 2007   By: Staci Dennis

Video: Migrant School Improves Lives of Students
Video: A Chinese Migrant Family's Education

BEIJING - What started as a greenhouse meant to cultivate plant life, has turned into a school teaching more than 1,400 students who would have otherwise been forgotten.

"Migrant worker children are arguably the most underrepresented in China's schools today," said Kara Waddell, a representative for Operation Blessing China. "Approximately 50 percent of children of migrant workers are not in school today."

Currently, China has about 200 million migrant workers, 120 million of whom work in cities.

Rapid growth of urban economies in China has led to a large demand for cheap labor, which typically draws families from rural areas. The result is a large population of migrants in cities with little income and limited resources.

Hua Ao Migrant Worker's School opened in Beijing in 1997. Today the OBI-supported school has 29 classes, 70 teachers and staff as well as 1,400 students attending primary and junior high schools.

In the 2003-2004 school year, OBI helped sponsor a science lab, library and multiple media classrooms. These improvements enabled the elementary school to register as a legal school in Beijing.

Now recognized by the government, Hua Ao can offer graduating students the rare opportunity of being able to continue their education in high school and eventually college.

In addition, teachers can be trained and certified by the government and the school can receive equipment from the Beijing authorities.

In late 2004, OBI started a performance-based scholarship fund, and to date has helped more than 600 students attend Hua Ao Migrant Worker's School. In addition, OBI started an educational allowance in 2007, which has benefited 204 students.