Before sending their children abroad for tertiary education parents should be clear about why they are doing so, an educator has told Shanghai-based news site The Paper. The swelling numbers of Chinese students returning with overseas experience has devalued it to some extent in the eyes of recruiters, argues Wang Yan, an education researcher. Wang spoke at the TIDE international teacher development conference in May.
Many parents and children blindly follow the overseas study trend without being thinking critically about whether overseas studies will genuinely improve the child's prospects, Wang argues.
Parents should not fear their children will fall behind if they do not have international education. They should consider what skills they hope for their children to master. For instance, some will find learning English overseas unnecessary if they will not use the skills when they return, Wang says.
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