ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the emergence of privately-run migrant schools as a source of education for migrant children in Beijing and provides useful background information. It presents a brief overview of the situations in each of the three selected districts, namely Shijingshan, Fengtai, and Haidian, including basic physical, demographic, and economic differences between them. It includes a discussion of the situations in other large cities with sizeable rural migrant populations, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, based on available evidence. Since policy implementation may vary among the districts and have differing consequences for migrant schools and their students, a comparative analysis is a crucial step towards building a more comprehensive understanding of migrant children's education. Haidian is also known for its high concentration of academic and research institutions, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, and it is one of the country's leading districts in terms of education, science and technology, and high-tech industry.
