Beijing's migrant school struggles to get by

Beijing has about 3 million migrant workers

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The opening bell rings and students in the classroom get back to their desks. They all stand up to greet their teacher as she comes in.

Another ordinary day in an extraordinary school -- the private Xinghua School for children of migrant workers in Beijing.

"Our school suits the needs of parents who leave their home early and come home late, buying and selling fruits or seafood," says a teacher at the school Song Yongjie.

Here, parents say their kids get decent education.

"My child didn't know anything before coming here," says a father of the one of the students. "Now he knows a lot, and his manners have improved, too. For us migrants, it's a big help."

Those parents have to thank Zhang Xueying, a migrant worker from rural Hebei province who founded the school four years ago.

Zhang had to use spunk and bluff to rent an empty building for $2,500 per month.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Jaime Florcruz reports on a school for migrant children in Beijing, China. Play video

"Did I have this kind of money? No. So I had to borrow, I had to beg." says Zhang.

"Asked if I had the permit to open a school, I said 'yes'. I had to lie all for the children."

Over three million migrants have moved to Beijing, but they could not easily get their children into schools because they are asked to pay high tuition and to present work and residence permits.

Xinghua School asks for none of those and charges only $50 a semester -- barely enough to rent a rundown building and employ teachers at low salaries.

They even teach elementary English in a two-story building that used to be a noodle factory.

Xinghua was one of the 50 schools shut down in Beijing last year because of its poor quality and "illegal status."

Zhang Xueying

But Zhang says the government is now rethinking its position because private schools are still needed to serve a big population.

"My two big worries last year were my debt and the children's schooling. Now that the government will start accepting children into public schools, I am more at ease. As for my debt, I can strive to work things out," says Zhang.

Zhang plans to keep Xinghua's enrollment open and cheap.

For millions of migrants, their children's' education is a long-term investment for a brighter future.

Privately run schools like Xinghua are rare and are barely surviving -- but they offer their school kids a stepping stone to reach their parents' and their own ambitions.