1、Economic Growth Ahead and Home Education BehindResulted in More Chinese Students Choose Studying OverseasClass 6 Candy Since 2008 China surpassed India with most students studying abroad, “oversea study”has become a significant topic, known by young Chinese students heading Australia, U.K. U.S.A. Ca
2、nada, Singapore and more to pursuit “better” education. The first Chinese student to go overseas was businessman Yung Wing back in 1847 who studied in Yale University and believed that it was important to understand western science and technical knowledge to strengthen his country. Later a group of
3、naval students were sent to Europe by Chinese government to learn shipbuilding, and after Meiji Restoration another group to Japan, because governors hoped that knowledge those students brought back would help modernize China. In early 20th century there was a constant stream of young Chinese headin
4、g overseas and the most famous one was Sun Yat-sen, first president and founding father of the Republic of China. After the Cultural Revolution which discontinued oversea study programs, in a speech in 1978, Deng Xiaoping encouraged Chinese students to learn abroad, and since then oversea study prog
5、rams expanded dramatically. In 2011 three hundred and forty thousand Chinese went overseas to study and number is expected to continue rising this year (“Chinese students become more interested in studying abroad”). Current study-overseas fever generated from Chinas booming economic growth, convenie
6、nce and attraction of oversea study, and from the unsatisfying quality of home education.Originally just children of political elites could study overseas, but now with thriving economy and rising global statue followed, China makes it easier for its ordinary families to send their children abroad.
7、Economy of China is the worlds second largest by nominal GDP and by purchasing power parity after the United States. It is also the worlds fastest-growing major economy, with 10% average growth rate over the past 30 years therefore Chinese households live better-off than ever before. According to a
8、recent report released by Mycos on oversea study programs in China, an education data research firm, nearly 90 percent of 2009 Chinese graduates who studied overseas are financially dependent on their parents or relatives (“Number of overseas Chinese students increases”). In aspect of region, richer
9、 districts send more students overseas, and nearly 2 percent of graduates from the Yangtze River Delta region went overseas to study, which is the highest proportion in China. Economic growth not only enables Chinese students and their families to pay for oversea study tuition, but also broaden thei
10、r view to choose oversea study.With more frequent communication around the world on economy, polity, science, technology, art and literature, a global village is also forming with help of convenient traffic transportation and worldwide Internet. This international village makes Chinese government mo
11、re aware of that China needs to be part of the world by joining international education programme (Roberta and Alma, 179). As one of the oldest and most wide-ranging organizations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been actively influencing education p
12、olicy making in Asia, particularly in China. In 1980, China began to work with the United Nations Development Program in education which provided China with much needed technology and financial assistance in schools and universities. Graduates from these international universities and colleges are h
13、ighly appreciated and much favored by employers both in China and world because it is known that international colleges provide better and more satisfying education quality. Therefore for some students, they plan to gain impressive degrees that will advantage them in Chinese job market, and there ar
14、e some hoping to stay long enough to gain citizenship. More convenience and advantages of oversea study attract more Chinese student to leave their home education.The quality of Chinas education system, or its shortcomings to be specific, is also a factor that increase the quantity of students headi
15、ng overseas. Although China develops prosperously in economy, its education system does not follow well, and many Chinese people complain that Chinas strict rote learning system neglects the importance of creativity, innovation and critical thinking, therefore hinders Chinas development as a leader
16、of inventions and breakthroughs. The dreaded Gaokao examination which is Chinas university entrance examination that all Chinese high school students must take if they want to get into a university in China force teenagers to do little else but study, pressure and competition is so intense that stud
17、ents will chain themselves to their desks, or sleep for only six hours a night. Whats more, since the huge expansion of Chinese higher education enrollment started in 1999, concerns over and criticism of deteriorating quality in teaching and learning of Chinese schools and colleges have risen. This
18、process was also fueled by the famous question raised by influential scientist Qian Xuesen: why have Chinese universities failed to engender innovative minds? Another phenomenon is that the age of Chinese students who choose to study abroad is becoming younger and now a rising proportion of them cho
19、ose oversea programs in high schools. While oversea study attracts Chinese students, their dissatisfying home education drive them away.China has a long history of oversea study dated back from mid 19 century, and the current number of students studying overseas increases so rapidly to become a feve
20、r worth focusing. For one reason, China has a booming and thriving growth in economy which enables and encourages students and their families to choose oversea study programs. A forming global village also makes it more convenient and competitive for Chinese students to get an international diploma
21、which does good to their future career and life. However above all, dissatisfying home education quality is the underlying reason why more Chinese students heading overseas to receive higher education. In a word, explaining the reason why more Chinese students study abroad, economic growth and globa
22、l village do the pull, while home education system does the push. Works CitedGordon, E. Slethaug. Teaching Abroad: International Education and the Cross-Cultural Classroom. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2007.James, Calleja. International Education and the University. London: Jessica Kingsle
23、y Publishers, 1995.Philip, G. Altbach. International Higher Education. New York: Routledge, 2012. Roberta, Bassett. and Alma Maldonado. International Organizations and Higher Education Policy: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally? New York: Routledge, 2009.“Chinese students become more interested in studying abroad”Nov. 2011 “Number of overseas Chinese students increases.” 2009 “Studying Abroad.” 2nd, Sept. 2013
