Translation: “Education for Migrant Workers’ Children Can’t Wait Any Longer”

In late May, China’s State Council announced new guidelines on providing basic services in the place of people’s actual residence, rather than formal registration. Such a shift could substantially alleviate the hardships imposed by the current hukou household registration system, which has effectively kept many tens of millions of migrant workers apart from their parents and children for long periods. This is not the first time changes to the system have been promised. 

In 2023, one Chinese expert told Reuters that "Hukou reform is a hard bone to chew, […] it’s not something you can do simply because you want to. Currently, all reforms are difficult." One major obstacle is the question of how local governments in urban areas would pay for sharply increased public-service responsibilities under China’s largely decentralised system. The new guidelines issued in May emphasized gradual progress "in line with local conditions," with local governments "doing their best within their capacity," suggesting that this problem will remain in local hands.

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