The photo has nothing to do with the story (CNA file photo)

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) Unlike their urban counterparts who often have to rush to tutoring centers after school, 36.4 percent of schoolchildren in remote parts of the country simply wander about after school, according to the results of a survey released Monday.

The survey, conducted by the Child Welfare League Foundation, found that 20.3 percent of families in remote areas do not restrict where their children go after school and that 37.2 percent of children who wander about after school have had unfavorable experiences over the past year.

The three kinds of deviant behavior schoolchildren in remote areas most commonly see are fighting, vandalism and bullying.

The survey found that 20 percent of children in remote areas are being taken care of by their grandparents, and 15.1 percent are living with their relatives while their parents work in cities.

While 23.2 percent of the children do not participate in any extracurricular activities or after-school programs, 24.7 percent want to study a skill or talent but cannot afford to do so.

Also, 56.9 percent of the children surveyed thought their academic performance will lag behind their urban counterparts, and 41.1 percent believed they will make less money than their urban counterparts in the future.

The survey was conducted between Oct. 12 and Nov. 20 among 1,511 fifth- and six-graders in remote areas.

(By Hsu Chih-wei and Y.F. Low)
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