Society Snapshot: Faces of the Future
The rising fortunes of China’s children.
Trend Description
More than half of China’s 1.3 billion citizens are less than 24 years of age. Growing up in this era of dramatic and accelerating societal change, it is the likes, dislikes, hopes, fears and dreams of these young Chinese that will ultimately mold the China of tomorrow. So, what effects are the whirlwind social and economic reforms of today having on China’s children? Can they propel this country to new heights in the mid-twenty first century?
Overall, the signs are good for China’s children. Young Chinese people are not only becoming better educated, but healthier as well. In terms of macro-level trends, China has the health profile of a middle-income country, with the general health of the population steadily improving. Quality healthcare is gradually becoming more widely available, and thanks to a well-developed welfare system, more than 95 percent of China’s children are now vaccinated against a full range of infectious diseases. However, despite the positive outlook, there are still some serious demographic challenges to be faced, and the wealth gap between rich and poor, and eastern and western China, remains a major concern.
Image source: Daniel Allen
Case Studies
Food for Thought
Twenty years ago, 80 percent of the Chinese population survived on less than a dollar a day. The most they wished for was enough for their family to eat. With the great changes of recent decades, more and more people are reaching for and seizing new opportunities for both work and life. Greater freedom and increased affluence have meant significant lifestyle changes, especially for the young. For Chinese youth, progress has brought both advantage and challenge.
The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) declared last year that China had already achieved the target of a 50 percent reduction in its number of underweight children. In a report on global child nutrition, the UN body said China had slashed its proportion of malnourished children from 19 to 8 percent, and commended the Chinese government on its successful efforts. On the flip side, a recent survey found that 10 percent of Chinese children are now clinically overweight, with an expected 8 percent rise per year. As in many Western countries, high-fat, fast food diets, too much TV and computer gaming, and not enough exercise are held responsible.
Image source: AP
Demographic Challenge
Fueled largely by an increasingly energetic media, the growing sums Chinese parents lavish on a single child has led some to lament a spoiled generation. Thus the term “little emperor,” a self-centered Chinese child pampered at every turn by doting parents. Some among earlier generations believe a love of money and material possessions may be eclipsing more important societal priorities for the nation’s youngest.
The increasingly pronounced demographic skewing of the Chinese population is a further worry. By 2020, the number of people over 60 in China will be more than 240 million, or 12 percent of the population. Caring for the elderly is a mounting burden which both society and government must share in a way that doesn’t limit progress or strangle aspirations.
Image source: Daniel Allen
Free Education for All
Thanks to efforts by both Chinese government and society, children’s education in China has made significant progress over the last twenty years. Since the 1980s the Chinese government has heavily subsidized normal and vocational education, and education for minorities. In recent years China has established a comprehensive educational fund-raising system, with financial support from national and local government supplemented by funds collected through other channels.
While standards of schooling in China’s affluent, eastern and southern urban areas are usually high, kids from poorer, agricultural and migrant worker backgrounds have traditionally been less well educated. However, times are changing. At the end of 2005 the Chinese government announced it would be investing over US$15 billion to pay for compulsory education in rural areas, thereby ensuring a free nine-year education for every child. Before the start of the 2006 spring semester the Chinese government invested over US$450 million to cover the school fees of kids living in 12 western provinces, including Sichuan and Yunnan.
Image source: JPGMAG
Trend Impact
Thanks to increased investment and more enlightened policy making, the number of teenagers graduating high school and going on to higher education continues to increase. While the education system undoubtedly still needs improvement, more and more kids are getting the opportunity to study, even in the poorest rural areas. To underpin the fast-paced economic growth that China is currently enjoying, the Chinese government is well aware that a healthy, educated and skilled workforce is an invaluable resource. With sensible planning, investment and guidance, China’s kids will mature to move the nation forward. Before they assume their role as adults, however, many are enjoying a childhood quality of life beyond the wildest dreams of prior generations.
Image source: Daniel Allen