Background

• China has experienced a rapid increase in income inequality since the Reform Period began in 1978. This is true not only in terms of the inequality within urban China, but is also seen in the development gap between urban and rural China, and between the eastern seaboard and the less prosperous western and central provinces. Government leaders are now announcing with increasing frequency, initiatives to relieve rural poverty.
• This disparity between rural and urban areas is reflected in the education sector. The proportion of those who are illiterate and semi-literate was above 10% in 14 of 22 provinces, reaching as high as 54% in Tibet.
• Crime among youth in China has been escalating at 10 % per year; and it is rising despite a shrinking population of that demographic.
• Specifically, 74% of young offenders have dropped out of primary or middle school before becoming involved in crime and the families of young offenders tended to focus solely on their children’s grades, rather than instilling moral standards.

What We Do

Right To Play shares the Chinese government’s vision and mission to enhance the health and education of the country’s children and youth. As such, Right To Play has developed specially-designed sport and play programs for primary school-aged children in both urban and rural areas. These programs would ideally be implemented in primary schools in China, aiming to enhance the existing curricula with sport and play-based activities that focus on holistic child development. Our holistic child development resources and training encourage healthy lifestyle behaviours and character education through physical activities, sport and play.

So Far

We have 4 field staff in Beijing working on office set-up, registration process, and partnership searches. We demonstrated our Right To Play activities during June 1st National Children’s Day events with 30 elementary school teachers successfully trained. Our teacher training session featured on prime time national TV news and Training and activities are now taking place in 4 schools in Tianjin and 4 schools in Beijing.