留守儿童的定义检讨与规模估算

对当今学术界在定义"留守儿童"方面存在的年龄区间、地域范围、父母外出情况及原因、留守时间等分歧做出了梳理和评析。认为应将"留守儿童"界定为不能随外出务工、经商或从事其他活动的父母一起生活而留在家乡由代理监护人教养或自我照顾的18岁以下的未成年人。然后依照这一定义并参照前人的研究成果,运用2000年第五次全国人口普查以及2005年全国1%人口抽样调查的相关数据,推算2005年末中国留守儿童的大致规模为1450万～1850万人,其中农村留守儿童约为1250万～1600万人。

On Definition of Left-home Children and Quantity Estimation

The paper reviews the different ideas of age,location scope,status of absent parents and the reasons,left-home time when defining "left-home children" in current academic circle.The author puts forward his own working definition which defines "left-home children" as non-adults(children less than 18 years old)who can't follow their parents working far away from home,do business or other activities,and who are left home and educated or looked after by substitute guardians or by themselves.According to this definition and in view of earlier research findings,as well as with the related data from the Fifth National Population Census in the year 2000 and National 1% Population Sampling Survey at the end of the year 2005,it is estimated that,at the end of 2005,there were about 14.5-18.5 million left-home children all over China,among which about 12.5-16.0 million were in rural areas.