Eli Friedman on the Urbanization of People

China has seen large-scale migration of workers from rural into urban areas. While the phenomenon of “left behind children” in rural areas has been widely reported, many children travel with their parents to cities. Given barriers to accessing public services that rest on a residency-status policy known as “hukou”, many of these migrant worker children are educated in privately-run migrant schools outside of the main public school system. A lack of investment means that these schools are often poorly constructed, with limited protection against excessive heat, cold, rain and air pollution. The students experience continuous disruption and turmoil: widespread school demolitions and closures take place as a combined result of government policy and rising land values.