Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 1

I am hoping to be able to introduce some international contacts next week.  I was able to get a hold of another colleague who gave me e-mails to several people who she keeps in contact with on a regular basis.  Since these e-mails are working I hope to hear back from them soon.

Since I have not yet made contact with ECE professionals in another country I have done the alternative assignment.  After going to the childhood poverty web site I looked at the information on childhood poverty in China.  This country has always interested me because it is so large and they are attempting to modernize under communist rule.  I have learned that 4.2 million children in China live in poverty and 8.7 million are living in disadvantaged situations.  These numbers are high but what I did not realize until I read about the childhood poverty in China is that they have been working to lessen poverty in the country since the 1990's.   I also learned that education and health are higher in China than in most countries with equivalent incomes.  I know that we need to do more in the United Stated and this made me realize that I really do not know how poverty is  affecting the community and country that I live in.

It is interesting to me that their is such a difference in the statistics from eastern China to western China.  About 80% of children in western China finish primary school and only about 65% in eastern China finish primary school.  This could be because families can not afford educational supplies that children need.

Their has been some social reform to help ease the disadvantages people may have because of the changing economy.  In 1992 a system was set up for people who had lost their jobs, had no money in savings and did not have any family to help them to be able to apply and receive government assistance.  This was only set up for people in urban areas but the concern is the the amount of money allocated for each family does not meet the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.  It also does not allow the families to afford education for their children.  

China is making efforts to address poverty in rural areas and in the urban areas and this issue has been put on the agenda of the 14th Chinese Communist Party Conference.

Resource
Childhood Poverty