The bodies of five boys were found in a large garbage container in the city of Bijie, Southwest China's Guizhou Province in mid-November. They made a fire to warm themselves inside the container but were killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Since the tragedy happened, the media and the public have been blaming the government. They criticized the local civil affairs bureau for not caring about these children and the education bureau for neglecting their safety. The local government has suspended and sacked the officials involved, while it's questionable if the government should bear full responsibility for the deaths. Shouldn't we ask where their guardians were when the incident happened?

As investigations deepened, more information was revealed. The five kids were related. Due to poverty, their parents went to Shenzhen to make a living, and nobody took care of these kids. It was reported that only one of the five boys had been sent to school, but he used to play truant, despite school officials and teachers having visited his home to persuade him back. I would say that their parents failed to shoulder the responsibility of guarding their children.

This case has reflected how China's legal system is lagging behind. Up to date, China has no particular law concerning the guardianship of children whose parents migrate to other cities to work. We constantly hear about tragedies happening to children left behind in their hometowns.

The law clearly states that parents are responsible as their children's guardians. Their relatives can take over this responsibility if parents have died or are unable to fulfill this role.

If none of these options are possible, the local civil affairs bureau can take custody of the children.

We can see from this regulation that the guardianship responsibility of the government is the final option. However, due to the lack of a specific system, the government is in an embarrassing position: It has no initiative to exert its right to take care of the children, but when problems occur, it is the first to blame.

Nonetheless, the establishment of a formal system needs policy support. Many migrant workers would like to take their kids with them, but education, medical treatment and housing problems are the barriers for them to stay in cities far from their hometowns. Even if the children do stay with their parents, the external environment often does them no good for their development.

Meanwhile, governments in areas where a large number of people have migrated away to work should improve the living and education environments of children that are left behind and set up special organizations to take care of them. This is to ease the worry of parents as well as to ensure the children grow up healthily.

Children are the future of our country. The number of those left behind in rural areas is becoming more. The family unit plays a key role in ensuring a safe upbringing for children.

Since the tragedy in Bijie took place, governments in other places have carried out measures to protect left-behind children. It is sincerely hoped that they will continue to do so.

The author is a lawyer at Beijing Lianggao Law Firm. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn