The Children's Foundation of China Friday launched a "sunshine plan" to provide better education to children of migrant workers living in cities.

An official with the Children's Foundation of China said the "sunshine plan" has chosen 15 schools for migrant children in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to provide donations.

He said the "sunshine plan" will help the chosen schools to build libraries, equip computers and large-screen projectors. The "sunshine plan" will also invite experts and celebrities to given lectures to students in the schools.

With a large number of rural migrants flocking to cities, China currently has about 20 million children of migrant workers living in cities, according to the Children's Foundation of China.

While urban public schools have now opened their gates to children of migratory workers, their parents' lower economic status means these children are less likely to be admitted by more competitive schools. Some of them can only go to makeshift schools unrecognized by the government.

In China, migrant laborers from rural areas number around 200 million. They are a pillar of the work force, but they face problems including pay arrears, work-place injury compensation, health care and their children's schooling.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2008)