According to the data released by the Ministry of Education, in 20 12, the number of students studying abroad in China reached 399,600, an increase of 17.65% over 201year. From various aspects, the number of students studying abroad in China will exceed 400,000 this year. Among them, more and more people graduate from high school and even study abroad, which is particularly interesting.
Going abroad to study in universities is heating up day by day.
Before the summer vacation, Ms. Wang, who works in a media in Beijing, has arranged a summer study tour for her children. In Ms. Wang's view, proficient foreign languages and international vision will definitely add a lot of color to children's future career development. "Although studying abroad costs a lot, I think such an investment in education is worthwhile."
The report on the opening of American 20 12 portal shows that from 20 1 1 to 20 12, the number of China students admitted to American higher education institutions increased from 157558 to 194029, an increase of 23%. Moreover, the growth of the number of China students studying in the United States is particularly reflected in the undergraduate stage. In 20 12, the number of China students studying in the United States increased by 3 1%, which was close to the number of graduate students studying in the United States.
Qiao Meihua, deputy director of a well-known intermediary agency in Beijing studying in the United States, has the most direct feeling that the starting line is ahead of schedule. She told reporters that in the 2005-2006 school year, only 65 middle school students in China went to the United States to study in middle schools with personal passports. By the 20 10 to 20 1 1 school year, 6,725 China students had gone to the United States to study in middle schools, an increase of 100 times in five years.
The reporter learned that in recent years, the source of international students has also changed. In the past, those who chose to study abroad after failing to study in China were mainly students with below-average grades but relatively rich families. Nowadays, the sources of international students are diversified. On the one hand, "top students" with excellent grades have joined the ranks of studying abroad. On the other hand, ordinary students who find it difficult to enter first-class universities in China also hope to enter famous foreign universities through hard work.
The number of people taking the "foreign college entrance examination" also reflects the current trend from the side. According to the survey conducted by the Education Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2009, about 7,000 mainland students went to Hong Kong to take the American College Entrance Examination (SAT) in 2007-2008, accounting for more than 95% of the total examination rooms in Hong Kong. In the second year, this figure doubled to 654.38+500,000.
The reporter also found that the study abroad fever is no longer a "patent" in first-tier cities such as Beishangguang. In March this year, an intermediary organization held the 20 13 global spring study abroad enrollment exhibition in Nanning, Guangxi. More than 50 colleges and universities from the United States, Britain, France, Australia, South Korea and other countries participated in the exhibition, and the scene was equally hot. Mr. Zhao of Nanning told reporters that many colleagues around him have sent their children abroad, and he is also considering letting his son who is in the third grade go abroad to attend high school.
Even in distant Korla, Xinjiang, people can still feel the enthusiasm of joining the global education wave. Qiu, president of Huashan Middle School, the Second Division of Agriculture of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, told reporters that since 2007, nearly 70 middle school students from Huashan Middle School have gone to Australia, the United States, Sweden and other countries to study.
The "going abroad fever" has a profound background.
Talking about the reasons for studying abroad, Mr. Tu, whose daughter has gone to Germany to go to university, told reporters that because of his work relationship, he contacted many friends who came back from studying abroad. Their excellent personal ability and vision strengthened his determination to send his daughter to study abroad. He believes that after the enrollment expansion of China University, the quality of higher education has not improved simultaneously. Many students have studied their disliked majors in college, and they are in a muddle all day. On the contrary, foreign universities combine leniency with strictness, which requires high teaching quality.
In the interview, the reporter found that "avoiding the pressure of college entrance examination", "hoping to enter a world famous school", "liking the relaxed educational environment abroad" and "being conducive to future employment" are the main reasons why parents and students choose to study abroad. However, the reporter also found that there are still some imperceptible factors behind the seemingly active choice.
Zhou Mansheng, a researcher at the National Education Development Research Center, told reporters that the current "going abroad fever" has a profound domestic and international background. Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Singaporean, Philippine, Taiwan Province and other Asian countries and regions have also experienced similar phenomena, and their per capita income has continued to grow. With the deepening of China's reform and opening up and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, there has also been a phenomenon of "going abroad".
Take studying in Australia as an example. A university needs more than 200,000 RMB for tuition and living expenses in one year, which is about 1 10,000 RMB in four years. For families in many big cities in China, this is not an unattainable goal. Therefore, parents usually choose according to the cost and expected return of going to college at home and abroad, which can be said to be a market choice.
"On the other hand, with the development of economic globalization, education has been commercialized globally, and many foreign universities regard education as an important aspect of export. At first, Australia, New Zealand and other countries dominated. In recent years, the United States began to realize that it should absorb this kind of resources and began to open to the China market. If you can charge three times the tuition fee and don't have to worry about the graduates' way out, why not the university? " Zhou Mansheng said.
The University of Minnesota Admissions Officer told reporters that from 2007 to 2009, the global financial crisis broke out and the US government's funding for universities decreased. In this context, many American universities have implemented internationalization strategies and turned their attention to students from emerging economies, including China. From 2008 to 20 12, the number of international undergraduate students in universities increased rapidly from more than 800 to more than 2,500.
In fact, not only foreign universities, but also domestic intermediaries and even schools are aiming at the huge cake of studying abroad.
Ms. Zhao, who lives in Xicheng District, Beijing, said that since her child went to the United States to participate in the "study tour" program in the second day of junior high school, she has been clamoring to study abroad. "He always compares the domestic environment and people's quality with the United States, and he is not satisfied. He told him about the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad, but he just didn't listen, as if the United States was a paradise on earth. "
Some parents have a thorough understanding of this kind of semi-tourism short-term trip abroad. "Thousands of RMB a day, life without worrying about anything is of course a paradise. However, studying abroad does not mean studying abroad. If you report your dream of heaven without hesitation, you will often end up with no good result. "
If parents can still treat the consequences of "study tour" and "summer camp" rationally, then some public high schools, especially international classes held by key high schools, are often difficult to seduce. Slogans such as "direct access to famous American schools", "taking credits in advance" and "teaching in English and not studying abroad" have attracted many parents who want to succeed.
According to informed sources, most key high schools in Beijing have set up international departments or classes. In Guangxi, since 20 1 1 Guangxi Normal University affiliated middle school opened the first high school international class, eight schools have opened international classes in two years. High school attached to northeast normal university became the first school in three northeastern provinces to offer international diploma courses (IB). PGA international courses for American universities have cooperated with many key middle schools in more than ten provinces and cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, Henan and Shandong.
Ms. Huang, a parent, told the reporter, "The focus of the international class is to teach foreign courses and prepare for the' foreign college entrance examination'. The content of learning is very different from that of ordinary classes. Once you choose, it is difficult to return to the track of further study in China. But it can not only enjoy the high-quality environment of key middle schools, but also let children get in touch with foreign courses and teaching methods as soon as possible. Although the price is nearly 654.38+10,000 yuan a year, it is lower than the cost of going abroad in high school and the risk is much smaller. "
"Foreign College Entrance Examination" gave birth to "Foreign Examination"
"Is the child suitable for going abroad? What major should I study when I go out? " Zheng Ping, a senior consultant of studying in the UK from an intermediary in Beijing, said that this is the most frequently asked question by parents. Indeed, parents invest a lot of time, energy and financial resources in studying abroad, most afraid of not being rewarded.
"For example, if your child likes to play games, it is best not to let him go abroad too early. No one will be bound after going out. " Zheng Ping said that they often use this example to explain to parents how to judge their children's "self-control". However, many parents are unwilling to admit that their children have problems, and often adopt the phrase "believe in their children's adaptability".
The choice of majors and schools is not optimistic. Shen Yu, assistant director of PGA High School International Curriculum Program, told reporters that the course will provide one-on-one planning guidance for students from the first year of high school, hoping to help students find their own majors and schools, but parents are often more looking forward to going to prestigious schools.
Sunny Chen, the chief representative of China at the University of Melbourne, once encountered a situation that made people laugh and cry. A parent who came to consult directly asked the university to help their children choose a major. "Of course, this is an extreme example, but most parents look at the rankings at most, or the popularity of their majors, and they know almost nothing about what their children want to learn and what they are suitable for."
In fact, many parents also have their own confusion. On the one hand, there is a lack of understanding of foreign education, on the other hand, there is a lot of dazzling and indistinguishable information. With the increasing willingness of students and their parents to study abroad, all kinds of information such as training, high school cooperation programs, international classes and so on come in droves.
Chen Qing, who has been engaged in international educational exchanges and cooperation for a long time, said: "Because of information asymmetry, it is difficult for most parents and even high schools to know the difference between IB and A-LEVEL courses." At present, such international classes are in a state of lack of supervision. "Take the class as an example. Some schools cannot provide a real environment for docking with foreign countries. Instead, Mr. China first went through the class and then taught the students the English words corresponding to these knowledge points, which became a' foreign test' specializing in the' foreign college entrance examination', which hardly helped students adapt to studying abroad. "
The reporter's investigation found that in the process of preparing for studying abroad, parents and children pay more attention to hard indicators such as school choice and examination than soft conditions such as physical and mental preparation and self-care ability.
Shen Yu told reporters: "Parents and students are most concerned about whether they can apply for an ideal school. Often listen to parents' complaints. If it is the college entrance examination, I can also refer to the experience of my relatives and friends around me. But because I study abroad, there are not many cases to refer to, so I will be afraid because I don't understand. "
In the interview, the reporter met Mr. Zhang who consulted the intermediary for the children. He said with a little helplessness: "Children spend so much time in high school. To complete the senior high school entrance examination in China, he has to improve his English, take the exam, choose a school and submit application materials. He can only take care of his eyes first. I have tried my best to help him, and the rest depends on him. "
Sun Hongyan, director of the Children's Research Institute of China Youth Research Center, believes that with the increase of China's reform and opening up and international exchange opportunities, it is understandable to choose to study abroad. However, parents and children are advised to make full psychological preparations, regard studying abroad as a long-term development plan, treat it rationally according to their own conditions, and avoid blindly following the trend and making hasty decisions.