Abstract: In addressing long-term development of rural youth，this article explores the phenomenon and the mechanisms of school dropout for migrant work for rural youth which is currently a common social problem in China．The analysis based on survey data shows that dropout for migrant work is related to the following factors: the distance between rural and urban society，individuals' economic attitude，their perspective on macro-social trends，and their parents' educational concept and method．Other than the structural issue on the urban-rural differences，the decision of rural youth of school dropout for migrant work is made by an economic-rationality-based model．However，dropout for migrant work should not be considered solely as a personal issue of rural youth，but also a social problem that needs to be addressed through policy adjustment．Therefore，it is suggested that a gradient based migration policy be adopted to avoid a single，utilitarian and economically orientated perspective．

Keywords: Peasant Workers, Dropping out of School for Work, Economic Rationality, Migration Policy

摘要： 文章以农村青少年的长远发展为导向，探讨农村青少年辍学打工现象的存在状况及其原因。教育统计年鉴数据和抽样调查数据均表明: 农村青少年辍学外出打工是一个普遍存在的社会现象。同时，抽样调查数据表明农村青少年辍学打工与以下因素存在因果关联: 农村社会距离、城市社会距离、个人经济观念强度及其对宏观社会形势的认知取向、父母教育观念和方式等方面。这表明除城乡差距等结构性的原因外，农村青少年的个人思维特征成为突出问题: 其辍学外出打工的选择表现出过于经济理性、偏面性和短期性的决策思维模式，缺乏长远的发展规划。但辍学打工不应该被看作是农村青少年的个人选择问题，而应当看作社会问题，必需通过政策调节来改变。所以，基于矫正过于功利、单一的经济导向出发，应当实施梯度人口流动政策。

关键词: 农民工, 辍学打工, 经济理性, 流动政策