putting pressure on the public school system. Legalised schools are known to increase their fees after being recognised. Despite implementing a ‘unified school fee’ (Yifeizhi) policy for primary schools in 2004 (CERN 2004; Painter and Mok 2008), public finances will be strained to cope with the sheer number of students in urban areas once floating migrant children are accounted for. Public schools are also unwilling to forgo the economic rent from add-on fees.