Summer 2009: Shanghai Migrant Children

Henry – He might look like just any other kid in the loud bunch of 30 migrant children in Shanghai.  He did not attempt to get our attention.  He followed what we told him to do.  Over time, these characteristics helped me see more and more each day why he was so special.  When we asked him to draw what he wanted to be when he grew up, many kids were ashamed or did not have any ideas.  They did not want to draw anything out of the norm in fear of being doubted or laughed at.  Many girls copied each other and drew a nurse or singer.  The boys drew policemen.  While Henry turned in his paper, I took a close look at it: “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor.”  A quiet boy with big ambitions, he was.

The last day was when these kids touched me tremendously, and Henry helped me to see more the capacity of these children to receive and give love.  During lunch, the kids quickly shoved food down their mouth so they can quickly go outside to play and run around.  The last lunch, I was eating slowly and turned around, Henry was already finished with lunch.  Confused I asked him, are you full? Aren’t you going outside to play?  He shyly replied, “This is your last day…I want to say here with you guys.”  I folded origami with him and the kids in the classroom.  It turned out that the boys saved their snack change to pitch in and buy me a beautiful set of inked pens.  Henry started to lead his friends in our group to listen more to me and my co-teacher.  I am very proud of Henry and I will never forget the migrant kids in Shanghai.

1. 

   Laurie Lin says:

   February 8, 2011 at 7:49 am

   Saw “Shanghai Migrant Children” and had to see this post. I used to volunteer at a migrant school to teach English a few years ago. Unfortunately, the private school had to be closed down as the Shanghai Education Commission began to accept migrant children with residential registration in Shanghai. The city was shutting down the private schools to eliminate the high tuition rates charged to the migrant families. This also meant taking away education from the migrant children who could not register as a resident in Shanghai because their parent’s employer would not officially put them on the payroll.

   Since 2009, I’m sure the number of private migrant schools has dropped tremendously. Where are these children going to school now?

   reply

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