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Children of migrant workers struggle to achieve the same level of educational success as their peers. Relocation, whether it is a singular or regular occurrence, causes discontinuity in education, which causes migrant students to progress slowly through school and drop out at high rates. Additionally, relocation has negative social consequences on students: isolation from peers due to cultural differences and language barriers. Migrant children are also at a disadvantage because the majority live in extreme poverty and must work with their parents to support their families. These barriers to equal educational attainment for children of migrant workers are present in countries all over the world. Although the inequality in education remains pronounced, government policies, non-governmental organizations, non-profits, and social movements are working to reverse its effects.

Barriers

 * Xenophobia and prejudice against migrant populations
 * Parents unaware of rights to education
 * Trauma and other psychological difficulties
 * Cost of schooling
 * Language differences

Demographics
The exact demographics of migrant families in the United States are difficult to calculate because migrants move across state and national borders, complicating census data.

Distribution of MEP qualified migrant students in the U.S.

According to the US Department of Education, in 2002 there were 783,867 children who qualified for the Title I Migrant Education Program. The racial breakdown of these migrant students is 86% Hispanic, 8% White, and less 3% Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander. 84% of these students speak little to no English, and about 90% speak a language other than English in their homes. The states with the highest level of students with limited English proficiency are Arizona (with 51% LEP migrant students) and Texas (with 37% LEP migrant students).

Policies and regulations
The Migrant Education Program (MEP) was established by the federal government in 1966 as an amendment to the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It provides support for children of migrant workers through educational services such as extended school days, summer programs, ESL classes, etc. Recent reforms to the MEP mandate that the federal funding is focused on the "neediest students" with the "highest risk of academic failure". To qualify for MEP, students must fit within the law's definition of a migrant child:

"... a child who is, or whose parent, spouse or guardian is, a migratory agricultural worker, including a migratory dairy worker, or a migratory fisher, and who, in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain or accompany such parent, spouse or guardian in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work,
 * Has moved from one school district to another;
 * In a state that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one administrative area to another within such district; or
 * Resides in a school district of more than 15,000 square miles, and migrates a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence to engage in a fishing activity."

Specifically, Sec. 1301 of the current reauthorization of ESEA, known as the No-Child-Left-Behind Act, describes the government's goals regarding migrant education.

'''SEC. 1301. PROGRAM PURPOSE.'''

It is the purpose of this part to assist States to —
 * 1) support high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migratory children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves;
 * 2) ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards;
 * 3) ensure that migratory children are provided with appropriate educational services (including supportive services) that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner;
 * 4) ensure that migratory children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet;
 * 5) design programs to help migratory children overcome educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, various health-related problems, and other factors that inhibit the ability of such children to do well in school, and to prepare such children to make a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment; and
 * 6) ensure that migratory children benefit from State and local systemic reforms.

Another role of the Migrant Education Program is to facilitate coordination of educational services between states. The Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) and the New Generation System (NGS) collect students' records and mails them between school districts, which promotes continuity for students who move across state lines.

Criticisms
The primary criticism of the EDEA's Migrant Education Program is its constantly evolving definition for "migrant student," which makes counting the number of migrants and analyzing statistics difficult. Second, not all migrants are treated equally by the EDEA: formerly migrant families that have permanently settled down are not included in the definition of "migrant" so they aren't eligible for the benefits of MEP despite still being at a disadvantage. Third, the MEP doesn't resolve the problem of students moving schools across state lines, learning different curriculums, and then struggling with state-specific standardized tests.

Migrant education in China
Through the hukou system, the Chinese government divides citizens into two categories (urban or rural). Historically, this has created a hierarchy between urban and rural citizens because strict regulations give urbanites more access to healthcare, education, food, etc. Migration has led to a changing demographic of cities. In 2003, about 10% (or 125 million) of the Chinese population were rural-to-urban migrants. An estimated 25 million of these are migrant children struggling to receive quality education. Many local governments require that everyone complete at least 9 years of education; however, migrant children weren't allowed to enroll in urban schools until 1996. The Ministry of Education issued "Provisional Measures for the Education of Migrant Children" in 1998, but because this was not actually legally binding, many factors continue to prohibit migrants from receiving education:


 * The hokou system requires that rural children must pay extra fees to attend urban schools.
 * School administrations require migrant children to show at least 9 official documents before enrolling, including a temporary residence certificate (which requires that the child's parents have a work permit and money to pay for the certificate).
 * Many public schools require fees like the "education compensation fee" and the "temporary schooling fee" specifically for migrant children.

For rural migrant children who do succeed in enrolling in state schools, discrimination is prevalent: in most schools, migrant children do not receive official grades and can not receive academic honors. Because of this, many parents choose to send their children to unlicensed, privately run migrant-specific ("black") schools. The quality of education in these schools is poor because they lack the same resources as state schools--specifically qualified teachers. Depending on the region, these "black" schools are also under threat of closure. In 2007 in Shanghai, every unlicensed migrant school in the center of the city was closed. However, schools on the outskirts were allowed to stay open. Additionally, in the majority migrant Xiamen Special Economic Zone, 34 unlicensed schools were allowed.

Researchers cite the Chinese government's quest for "population quality" as the primary reason for continued exclusionary policies against rural migrants. However, there are other consequences to the continuation of these policies, as explained by Charlotte Goodburn:

It is difficult to predict precisely what the results of these exclusionary policies will be. However, it seems reasonable to suppose that if these problems are not addressed they will have a serious impact on China’s future development. Not only will a large section of the population not have the skills necessary for China’s further economic development, but they will also lack the kind of education needed to develop the capabilities for leading decent, happy and successful lives.

Migrant education in South Africa
The South African Constitution guarantees refugees and asylum seekers the right to education. However, migrants face many systemic barriers that reduce their educational attainment. One such barrier in South Africa is that many migrants are turned away from public schooling because of a lack of documentation (such as report cards, transfer forms, birth certificates, etc.) Second, language difference is a significant barrier for students from French or Portuguese-speaking countries who must continue their education in the predominantly English-speaking South Africa. Third, according to the Gauteng Department of Education, the recent influx of migrants has "led to enormous pressure on the education system, resulting in overcrowding in ... schools."

South African civil society organizations, such as People Against Suffering, Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP) and Agency for Refugee Educational Skills and Advocacy are working to combat the issue of migrant education. Community based social movements such as the Equal Education movement are fighting for educational equality in South Africa through research, analysis, and activism. The Three2Six Project, which is donor-funded, also helps by offering free schooling to migrant children who are turned away from public schools.