[China] Survey: education fees top cause of poverty

from The People's Daily Online

A research survey on Chinese life quality index of 2005 shows expenditure spent on children's education becomes the top reason for poverty among urban and rural Chinese, while lacking knowledge and skill turns out to be one of the causes of failure to make enough money, China Youth Daily reported.

The survey of 4,128 respondents in last October, was carried out in eight big and medium-sized cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Shenyang, Xi'an and Nantong, and seven small towns with their surrounding villages.

The research, co-conducted by Horizon Research, shows 40 percent to 50 percent of those from poor families in cities, small towns and villages mentioned they are poor because they have children in school and tuition fees are the biggest expenditure of their families.

The second heaviest burden for poor families is medical fees as some 25 percent of the surveyed said their poverty is because they have patients to take care of.

In addition, 14 percent of the surveyed in urban areas said another reason for poverty is that they have to support the elder.