According to a survey made by China Youth Development Foundation, currently 60% of China’s rural teenagers choose to be farmers or migrant workers after graduation from junior high school.
“Senior high school education will cost thousands of RMB, so I’d better work leave my hometown to work, earning 2,000 yuan per month for my family,” 17-year-old Wu Ju said. She seemed to be really content with her choice.
Wu is from a poor family in Shaanxi Province, now working for a hotel in Haidian District, Beijing. At 15, she started to find temporary jobs before she finished her junior high school education. She revealed that many teenagers like her in her hometown had been migrant workers for years. Villagers now believe college students also have difficulties finding a decent job, and if their children do not pursue further studies and start working instead, they can at least earn some money and be independent without their parents’ further support. [Full Text]