Shanghai Volunteer English Teaching Program
The objective of this project is to assist students in migrant schools in Shanghai to gain interest and confidence in their English language abilities and to help them pass their middle school entrance examinations.
English teaching volunteers are introduced into schools for migrant children in Shanghai.
To date, we are running projects in 18 schools across Minhang, Huangpu, Baoshan, Pudong, Songjiang and Putuo districts. The English teaching standards in these schools are low and the Principals welcome volunteers to teach English to the students and/or the teachers either during the school day or at the weekend.
This programme offers a rewarding way to get to know another side of China’s society and to contribute in a meaningful way to the education of under-privileged children.
To know more about how to become a volunteer, please go to the volunteer page.
- To assist students in migrant schools in Shanghai to gain confidence in their English language abilities
- To help these students pass key examinations
- To offer volunteers a meaningful way to contribute to the education of under-privileged children
About Migrant Schools in Shanghai
With rapid economic growth and social change in China, the migrant or floating population has increased rapidly over the last few years. Official estimates put Shanghai’s migrant worker population at 5 million. Leaving their hometown in rural areas, most of these migrants take low-ranking jobs and have little access to urban resources such as information, medical care and welfare services.
The children of migrant workers move with their parents to become temporary residents in urban cities like Shanghai. Due to their families’ low economic and social status, living conditions can be extremely low. Lack of integration with the local population also leads to prejudice and discrimination.
According to government statistics, there are almost 400,000 migrant children of school age (1st grade primary to 3rd grade middle school) living in Shanghai. A large proportion of these children attend regular Shanghai schools. However, for several reasons, including residence registration issues and lower educational standards, many migrant children cannot be admitted to normal Chinese schools, and around 40% of these migrant children go to school in one of the 200+ small private schools for migrant children which have sprung up, mostly in the suburbs of Shanghai, to provide a basic education for these children.
These schools were all illegal at the outset, as there was no legal way to establish such a school. Many of these schools were in over-crowded, sub-standard buildings with poor facilities – typically dilapidated desks and chairs in over-crowded classrooms with bad lighting. Their short history has been unstable – some of them have moved many times and others have been closed. Many schools still lack the facilities which are taken for granted in normal Shanghai schools, such as computers, projectors, sports equipment, etc.
What is the government doing about the problem?
With falling local populations, migrant children are being gradually absorbed into regular Shanghai schools (especially in central districts). Some district authorities have established state-run schools for migrant children, and some companies have also established schools for the children of their workers. Most of the state-run and company-run schools are in fairly good condition. However, not all children are able to obtain access to these better schools.
The district education authorities are gradually allowing the better schools to register as private schools under the Shanghai system, especially in Shanghai’s suburbs, where they will continue to meet the educational needs of a growing migrant population.
The authorities are also working on improving the standards of the migrant schools. Schools have been issued with a list of standards which they are expected to achieve within in a certain period. Schools which have reached those standards have legally registered – schools which have not have been closed, and the children in those schools accommodated elsewhere.
Stepping Stones is one of many organisations doing its bit to try to improve the quality of the schools and the education they can provide in Shanghai.