Illustration: Xia Qing/GT
The number of Chinese students dropping out of school decreased from about 600,000 last year to 2,419 by September 15, the Chinese Ministry of Education announced this week. Of the total 600,000, roughly 200,000 dropouts were from families in poverty. However, they were generally persuaded to return to school. According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, about 40 million rural children receive food subsidies every year. In fact, a nutrition improvement plan has been extended to all poverty-stricken counties. The return of children from families in poverty may be a temporary improvement, with success under special circumstances. In some places, the foundational education environment is still fragile. It needs to be consolidated and improved. It is urgent to establish and improve the long-term working mechanisms in this matter. Meanwhile, poverty alleviation must be strengthened to safeguard the compulsory education for all children.