LURING CHINESE STUDENTS: A student and his father are given a brief introduction on Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Spain at its booth at an education expo in Beijing on November 15, 2011 (LI JING)

In recent years, an increasing number of high schools around China have opened an "international division," which develops a curriculum with more emphasis on English language studies and the Western pedagogical tradition. Almost all the graduates of these programs forgo the national college entrance examination and eventually spend their university years abroad. Although tuitions for students in these programs are much higher, ranging between 60,000 yuan ($9,421) and 100,000 yuan ($15,702) a year in Beijing, fierce competition means the enrollment rate is below 10 percent for some programs.

According to the report by China Education Online, the proportion of high school graduates applying for foreign universities against the total number of graduates is still small, but it has been steadily growing year on year. The report quoted the proportion of Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, which jumped from 0.7 percent in 2007 to 1.7 percent in 2009. Citywide, the figures were higher in key high schools and reached between 5 and 10 percent, according to the report.

There have been reports on the low investment returns from overseas education: Graduates from foreign universities are not paid significantly higher in China though their study expenses are several times those of domestic institutions. However, parents supporting the current push for studying abroad hold increasingly rational expectations.

"Expensive and high-quality education does not deliver returns overnight. If I spent 1 million yuan ($157,018) on my son's education, I wouldn't expect him to find a high-paid job the day after he graduated. Life is a long-distance race instead of a sprint," an anonymous father who sent his son to study in a high school in the United States told China Youth Daily.

Forced reforms

Last year, nearly 1,000 institutions of higher learning in China reportedly failed to meet their recruitment targets.

"Institutions of higher learning in China used to have no survival pressure as a college diploma was highly sought after and respected everywhere," said Chen Zhiwen, Editor in Chief of China Education Online. He said that instead of pursuing the universal goal of becoming a major research-based university, universities and colleges in China now need to focus on nurturing their unique strength in certain fields and producing competitive graduates in the labor market.

"Parents send their children to study overseas not simply to avoid the enormous pressure of studying hard for the national college entrance examination. Many of them are disappointed at China's higher education," said Professor Cheng Fangping at the Renmin University of China in Beijing.

The Beijing-based 21st Century Education Research Institute released a report on China's educational development in March 2011. According to the report, the public's satisfaction over the general education quality declined compared with two years ago and was "between considerably satisfied and not very satisfied." Many college graduates complained that they learned little during their four years in Chinese universities.

"Chinese colleges must be reformed," said Xiong Bingqi, a long-time observer of China's higher education. "I suggest they remove all application restrictions and allow students to change their major after admission to meet the personal demands of students for higher education and be more competitive."

Many experts said that as the students' pool dries up, higher education institutions in China would feel the pressure to reform themselves.

"This is good news for China's higher education in the long run. Institutions have to reevaluate their strengths and adjust their development goals. Meanwhile, China's overall social environment has become more conducive to educational reforms," Chen said.

Four Waves

- In the late 1970s and early 1980s, institutions of higher learning in other countries started to welcome Chinese visiting scholars on government-funded studying trips.

- In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a sharp increase in Chinese applicants for postgraduate studies in foreign institutions, usually with a scholarship application.

- At the turn of this century, applying for a foreign university became popular among the children of wealthy Chinese families, who performed poorly at the national college entrance examination and couldn't be enrolled by a domestic facility.

- In the last few years, the number of Chinese undergraduate students studying abroad has been rising dramatically, many of whom could have been admitted by a reputable Chinese university.

(Source: China Youth Daily)

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