Wang Yuanyuan

cheekywang@hotmail.com

A growing number of young students are choosing to study abroad.

According to a figure given by the EIC Education Agency, one of the city’s largest agencies for overseas education, more than 30 percent of Chinese students studying abroad were aged between 12 and 17.

The number has grown quickly over the past three years because many parents thought it was better to send their children abroad while young so they would find it easier to integrate into Western society.

However, many education experts think not every child is suited to being alone and far away from home at such a young age.

“Life in a foreign country is hard even if you are resourceful and adaptable. Many young students feel lonely and depressed when in a foreign country. For children who are less independent, it can be so traumatic that it is harmful to their development,” said Zhong Xin, a 20-year-old university student in Australia. Zhong went to Australia when she was only 14.

However, Zhong also thought that the earlier a person moves abroad the easier they will find it to integrate.

“But when a student returns to China, their country of origin may feel foreign to them, particularly when they start working. My brother, who went to Australia at the age of 15, was like that and he is still trying to reintegrate after returning to China for three years,” Zhong said.

Parents also find it hard to communicate with their children.

“My two children have studied in Britain for more than 10 years and our ability to communicate with each other has deteriorated. They don’t even enjoy my wife’s cooking anymore. My daughter only likes bread and milk and refuses to eat traditional Cantonese soup. When they come back for the summer holidays we often argue over what to eat,” said a man surnamed Chen.

Frances Chan, an education consultant at the EIC Education Agency, also thinks many children are sent abroad while too young. “Although I see many successful cases of young Chinese children becoming independent when living alone overseas, I still think that parents should not send their children away at such a young age,” said Chan.

“Childhood and puberty are very important phases in a person’s development. If they are separated from their parents in these phases, it will not be good for their mental development or their family life,” Chan said.