Cheng Jindan, the two-year-old boy who received wide publicity after his father tethered him to a pole alongside a Fangshan district street, is having a difficult time adjusting to his new life in a preschool, his teachers say.
Teachers said he has developed antisocial behavior and has limited communication capabilities because of parental neglect.Make a Mark in Your Career with a Top UK Hons Degree at Kaplan
The report on his activities came just one day after his mother, a migrant, gave birth to the family’s third child, a boy. A four-year-old daughter, who like Jindan had been left unattended, has been missing for more than a month.
In early February, the boy was left unattended by the father, a driver of an illegal taxi.
To the shock of many, the father, Cheng Chuanliu, said he tied up the boy with a two-meter iron chain out of safety concerns after Cheng’s four-year-old daughter walked off in late January. That apparently prompted Cheng to chain the boy.
After his misfortune was reported nationwide, the boy was accepted by the kindergarten of Jinglu School, which is devoted to educating the children of migrant workers in Beijing.
The school, in Fangshan district, waived Jindan’s tuition and provided him with free learning materials.
School officials said they have not yet decided how long they will provide assistance, but noted the aid is contingent upon his progress.
Thus far, Jindan is having a difficult time getting along with children and teachers in his new surroundings.
"The boy is quite antisocial at the moment," said a teacher surnamed Liu at the school. He does not want to share anything with other kids, nor does he play with them.
"He wants to stay outdoors and when the teacher leads him into the classroom he cries."
Liu said teachers believe Jindan’s behavior is a direct result of his neglect.
Cheng Chuanliu, a migrant from Fujian province, is apparently driving an unauthorized vehicle to make a living. His wife, Yang Caihong, who collects empty bottles for money, suffers from a mental illness and cannot take care of herself, let alone children, Cheng Chuanliu has said.
According to Liu, teachers are making great efforts to guide the boy. Jindan also must catch up with his peers in terms of language ability.
"Kids are quite willing to accompany Jindan and talk to him, but it seems that he cannot speak or understand others," Liu said.
Cheng Chuanliu still insists he had no choice but to leave his son because he had to earn money. He simply had no time to care for Jindan, he said.
"Now I am quite happy about Jindan’s new surroundings," the father said. "At least he can have lunch at kindergarten and is well looked after. I have little time for Jindan. I am busy taking care of my wife. She just gave birth to another baby on Monday."
The issue of migrant family care is a hotly debated topic in Beijing and beyond.
Unattended children in migrant worker families are widely seen in the capital. The unaffordable expense makes sending children to kindergarten unlikely, and parents have little time for to care for their children.
