In recent years, the international education boom has gradually spread from high school and undergraduate to junior high school, and more and more parents have begun to think about one question - "Is it really worth it to send your child abroad at such a young age?" Especially in the education environment where "internal scrolling" is getting more and more intense, studying abroad at a younger age seems to be a new path to "bend the road and overtake the car". But in the face of language, life, psychology, self-care ability and other multiple challenges, choose to go abroad is "visionary" or "blindly follow the trend"? Today, with rationality and sincerity, we will analyze in depthstudy abroad at an early ageThe pros and cons behind the program help parents capture the real "value for money".

I. The "Heat" and "Volume" Behind Low-age Study Abroad

  According to the data, the number of China's younger international students has been rising year by year, and the proportion of junior high school students studying abroad has been expanding. On the surface, parents want their children to get rid of the "thousands of horses and horses squeezing the one-tree bridge" mode of further education, and to connect with the international education system in advance, so as to cultivate comprehensive literacy and global vision. At the same time, some prestigious schools are also placing more and more emphasis on children's internationalized background in their admissions, which makes many families with planning layout in advance to run the education track.

II. Five advantages of going abroad at the junior high school level

1. Pure language environment, golden period of learning
     The 12-15 year olds have the strongest language imitation ability, and learning English through immersion in foreign environments makes it easier for them to achieve "native level" listening, reading and writing than high school students who are stereotypical of the Chinese language.

2. Cultivating an independent personality and shaping soft power
     Overseas focus on "personality development" and "self-management", early study abroad can cultivate children's self-discipline, self-care, social and stress-resistant skills, laying a good foundation for future growth.

3. Smoother access to top schools
     Many top schools in Europe and the United States favor students who have grown up in the local education system. By going to junior high school, you can seamlessly connect to your future high school and undergraduate applications and have a higher probability of acceptance.

4. Go beyond domestic involution and experience a diverse education
     No longer using test scores as the only evaluation standard, it strengthens quality education such as interest, sports and art to help children discover their true selves.

5. The "Time Difference Dividend" Paves the Way for the Future
     The earlier you go abroad, the faster you will adapt and the more competitive you will be in the future, especially for those who plan to study and work abroad,immigrantsof the family is highly strategic.

III. Three major challenges and risks that cannot be ignored

1. Lack of psychological independence and difficulty in adapting to loneliness
     Many junior high school students have not yet been removed from parental care at home, and leaving home too early may lead to problems such as loneliness, anxiety, and insufficient self-management, and their level of psychological maturity requires urgent attention.

2. Costly, input-output ratio to be calculated
     Europe and the United States, a year of low boarding costs about 30-60 million yuan, a reading is more than 6 years, the family needs to have a stable economic strength, do not recommend "bite the bullet".

3. The quality of education varies, and school choice is key
     The quality of foreign schools varies, and some of them are just "foreign student business". Blindly following the trend may disrupt the growth rhythm of the child, delaying the key school period, need to be careful in choosing.

Fourth, what kind of family is suitable for middle school study abroad?

• Have some financial strength, without compromising the quality of family life;

  

• Openness to parental education conceptsThe child's ability to accept "non-traditional paths" to success;

• Children are highly autonomous, with some self-discipline, emotional management and language fundamentals;

• :: Long-term planning, clearly want to study, work or develop abroad in the future.

V. What can parents do about the "final kick in the pants"?

1. Lay out language preparation 1-2 years in advance to enhance your child's independence;

   

2. Multiple on-site school visits + summer school experiences to determine a child's true fit;

3. Avoid enrollment pitfalls by choosing a qualified institution or direct application channel;

4. Do a good job of psychological construction, parents stay with and communicate with each other, and create a reliable support network;

5. Pragmatism and rationality, not blindly "I have what everyone else has", and the only criterion is "suitable for the child".

VI. Summarizing: whether it is worthwhile or not depends on "whether it is appropriate"!

  Studying abroad at an early age is not a master key or a shortcut, but an educational path of "starting earlier and running longer". If you want your child to be more internationalized and competitive, your family has the conditions, and your child is psychologically mature, then it's worthwhile to set up the middle school "going abroad". However, if you just follow the trend blindly and do not plan carefully, you may lose more than you gain. Wise parents are always the planners, peers and guardians of their children's development.