Twenty years ago, it was common for a teenaged middle school student to have to work in order to supplement the family income. "The Tragic Song of the Student Forced to Quit School" was a contrapuntal theme in the rhythm of Taiwan's economic growth.
廿年前，十來歲的中學生為了貼補家用，不得不輟學工作的情形相當普遍；「失學少年的悲歌」曾經是台灣經濟蓬勃發展中的一曲哀怨小調。