After three years of trials and perseverance, the Beijing municipal government has finally relented and granted a license to a school for rural migrant workers' children.

A simple and frugal ceremony marked the legal operation of Xingzhi School. More than 1,000 students from migrant farmer-workers' families and their teachers have been waiting for this day for over three years.

But although Xingzhi has reached the government's standards, officials are still hesitant to grant permits to other similar private schools, which are poorly equipped.

Sun Yong, Deputy Director of Education Dept. of Daxing District of Beijing, said: "It's really hard for us to grant licenses to such schools. In this district, there are 30 or so schools operating illegally."

It is 18 years since China launched its 9-year compulsory education system. Education has been made a priority in this country with 1.3 billion people, but rapid social changes have brought new problems.

China's economic boom has attracted a large number of people from the countryside to work in the cities. But how to have their kids well educated has become a headache for many migrant families. And schools like this one have been set up to meet their demands.

Children like these are virtually barred from public city schools because of extra fees they have to pay. And that makes attending unlicensed schools for migrant farmer-workers' children their only choice.

But unlike public schools which are financed by the government, schools for migrant farmer-workers' kids have to rely solely on tuition fees. Xingzhi School can only afford 50 teachers for its 1,200 students.

Despite this, migrant farmer-workers prefer to send their kids here, rather than leave them behind in the countryside.

A migrant farmer-worker said: "I have thought about the problems. But the quality of education here is much better than at home."

For Xinghi's headmaster, these young people must be given a fair education before it's too late.

Huang He, Headmaster of Xingzhi School, said: "We are obligated to provide equal education opportunities to every child. With a good education, these migrant children will become a major force for China's future, at least, for the development of rural China."

Latest official statistics show there are almost 300,000 migrant farmer-workers' children in Beijing. But of the 300 private schools set up for them, less than 30 have a legal license.

(CCTV October 19, 2004)