Low-aged Overseas Students Low-aged overseas study has become a major concern by the media and parents of the students, and

Low-aged Overseas Students
    Recently, the question of low-aged overseas study has become the major concern by the media and parents of the students. Frequently there are reports on low-aged overseas students, both in negative tone and in positive tone. And at the age of rational studying abroad, such discussion concerning the age of overseas students is beneficial. Today, I’d like to talk about the question and share my opinions with you.
    First, let’s define what is "low-aged studying abroad". In accordance with relevant regulations of Ministry of Education, students cannot go abroad to study before completion of their Nine-Year Compulsory Education. In this sense, the low-aged overseas students actually refer to those students who have completed their junior high school education yet haven’t graduated from their senior high school and will continue to complete their senior secondary education abroad. For those who go abroad to further their study as college students after their graduation from senior high school, we won’t count them in numbers as the "low-aged overseas students" because they are basically above the age of 18 and have become adults.
    In regard with the question of "low-age studying abroad", generally there are two kinds of opinions as approval and disapproval. For those who hold opposing opinions, they give out their reasons as the following:
    Firstly, Chinese children lack the study ability and the ability of taking care of themselves in daily life. Therefore, when they were sent abroad without supervision under their parents, they will be completely "out of control". Thus under such condition, whether studying abroad can lead a road to success is a big concern.
    Secondly, among the young overseas students, many come from rich families or bureaucratic families. These students are not diligent, nor have the satisfying scores. Language is still a big problem for them. They are quick at learning what they shouldn’t learn but slow at what they should. A small part of them are even regarded as "oversea rubbish", and influenced those diligent and ambitious students.
    Thirdly, most of the young overseas students are singleton—the only children in their family. So they are "extremely spoiled by their parents". So when living in a foreign homestay family or dealing with foreign students, they often expose a lot of bad habits and often have conflicts with other students.
    Finally, those students have originally a general level at English study when at home. When they study abroad and are taught in English, can they follow the teachers and adjust themselves to the new circumstances?
    The views are reasonable somehow. However, it’s unfair to take one-sided opinions. Next, let’s take a look at the advantages of foreign high schools compared with domestic high schools:
    First, language is certainly an advantage. It’s known that the younger the child is, the stronger the ability for simulating language is. Child’s English level will be equal to the level of domestic undergraduates majoring in English through two or three years’ senior secondary education, and his practical application is much better.
    Second, it’s more flexible to select courses in foreign high schools. Their teaching pattern depends on the student’s conditions and teachers encourage students to think independently and exert creativities; domestic high schools pay more attention to preciseness and solidness for the basic knowledge. One child will possibly have different developments in both atmospheres. For example, some children are not interested in physics and chemistry, and the low scores lead them to detest these subjects, but now they have to study them. If your child really gets into trouble in domestic high school due to bad performance in some subjects, it’s a wise choice for going to foreign high schools. Because in foreign high schools he or she can select courses according to the majors in the university that he will enter and the direction that his future job is related, he or she will be mobilized to get high marks easily, thus can go to a famous college to further his or her study.
    Third, because the resources for domestic education are relatively insufficient, the students can enter college only through passing the unique way—College Entrance Exam. It brings great pressure to the students. If your child usually studies well, but often performs bad in the exam because of nervousness, in such case, the system for continuously evaluating usual achievements that adopted by foreign high schools is obviously helpful to provide a fair evaluation to the students.
    Fourth, if your child later wants to get a postgraduate or doctoral degree, it’s beneficial for him or her to choose study at a foreign high school then go to a foreign university. This provides the child with facility to continuously receive higher education in other states after completion of foreign undergraduate programs, which would be more easily to be admitted than the undergraduates at home.
    At last, your child enhances his ability of independent living, which is helpful for them to adapt to society in the future. Some parents may be worried that their children can do nothing at home, how he can settle down by himself? To be honest, nowadays students in high schools seldom have strong ability in settling down. Hundreds of students going abroad through me are absolutely not better in settling living affairs than their peers, but we will take a new look to them after their going abroad for some time. They often visit me during winter holidays; it feels to me that they become polite, and respect other’s views and feelings than before. There’s no doubt studying abroad is valuable to the study, job prospect, development of character for the child.
    In conclusion, it’s beneficial for the future development for the child with strong wish to study and with more excellent academic performance to go to a foreign high school than stay in a domestic high school.