China's Rural Youngsters Drop Out of School at Alarming Rate, Researchers Find

(Beijing) – Like many other teenagers in his village in the mountains of the northwestern province of Shaanxi, Chen Youliang decided to quit school early so he could follow in the footsteps of his migrant worker parents and find a job in a big city.

Chen, who left school at 17 and is now 20, works as a cook in a small restaurant in Xi'an, the provincial capital. He says he wants to learn a skill so he can have a different career, but acknowledges that will be difficult. "Very few who leave (school) for a job can resume their studies," he said.