低龄留学愈演愈烈 留学生三成不满18岁

Wang Yuanyuan

More than 30 percent of Chinese students studying abroad were aged between 12 and 17, the EIC Education Agency said in Shenzhen last week.

The number had grown quickly over the past three years because many parents thought it was better to send their children abroad while young so that they could easier become accustomed to western education and life.

"I plan to send my son to study in the United States, so I think it's better to let him go there early," Lin Qin, said. Lin's 12-year-old son will go abroad next year.

However, many education experts think not every child is suited to studying abroad alone at such a young age.

"Life in a foreign country is hard even if you have a lot of money. Many young students feel lonely and depressed when they get to a foreign country. For children who are less independent, it could be harmful to their development," said Zhang Rongfang, a junior school student.

Zhang said he had a classmate who went to the United States at the age of 13 and came back at 17. "Chinese parents are very protective and children were used to studying under pressure from parents and teachers. When they are in a foreign country, some can't control themselves. Others, like that student, give up their studies and start playing with friends. So his father took him back, but he never caught up with his classmates," Zhang said.

Some students studying abroad also advised against going abroad too early. "Loneliness was the most terrible thing in my experience and not many students could cope with it properly," said Zhong Xintong, a 20-year-old university student in Australia. Zhong went to Australia when she was 16.

"A lot of my classmates dealt with these problems by attending parties and having boyfriends or girlfriends. Some had a really wild time that my friends in China could not imagine. Also, because we went there so young, our English was quite poor. So most of the time, we hung out with Chinese friends, so there was no significant improvement in our English levels. I think it is better for parents to send children abroad when they are older," she said.

Zhong thought it was best to send children abroad after they graduated from high school. "An 18-year-old student is more mature and independent and they can have a better understanding of life and society. If parents want to send their children abroad at a young age, they should never overestimate their children's ability to live alone," she said.