After much consideration, Wei Dong from Beijing finally refunded the two sets of round-trip air tickets to San Francisco, USA he bought eight months ago on July 14th. “I relied on many connections and submitted a lot of documents, including language proficiency certificates, award certificates, etc., before I got a chance at the Stanford University STEM summer camp, and the apartment was booked early... Who would have thought that the impact of this epidemic would last so long? Well, I feel like I saved a hundred million," she joked to herself.
Six figures - this is the budget Wei Dong prepares for her son to study abroad every year. Originally, she valued this summer camp especially, "The Stanford camp is a hot commodity among summer camps. The cost for three weeks is about 30,000 yuan. It can be Many second-generation celebrities in China have participated in learning to develop apps, make robots, etc. If they choose to live in the school dormitory, the cost will be 2,000 to 3,000 US dollars more.”
Wei Dong’s best friend rents on the Airbnb website. They bought a four-bedroom garden villa with a rent of US$6,000 for three weeks. They originally planned to live together as a family. "Including the air tickets, meals, etc. for our mother and son, and a self-driving trip nearby on the weekend, the total cost would be almost 100,000." "
Wei Dong is a partner in an interior design company. She can handle her work as usual abroad. Three weeks of study and six-digit spending are not a problem for her. "As far as I know, many middle-class families in Beijing spend no less than RMB 40,000 to RMB 50,000 to study abroad for their children every winter and summer vacation. Switzerland, France and other European countries even have some summer camps offering RMB 20,000 to 300,000. I would like to apply. It’s not easy to become famous.”
Mr. Wei Donghe decided very early on that her children would go to college in the United States, and participating in various overseas summer camps was an important part of her education plan. Her best friend's family had already refunded their tickets, and she had yet to make a decision. "I was still hoping for a miracle, such as the sudden development of a COVID-19 vaccine."
Is it worth 1 million yuan? Wei Dong made some calculations, "We went on a study tour abroad. Just looking at 100,000 yuan seems very expensive. After all, there are many study tour groups in China worth several thousand yuan, and the ones organized by the school are cheaper. But think of this money as a gift for my son and I." The cost of a three-week trip to the United States for two people is not expensive, not to mention the fact that they can study at Stanford University, which is very valuable.”
Until July 14, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission asked students to take a summer vacation at a press conference. "I won't leave Beijing unless necessary", so she decided to refund the ticket.
Regardless of study tours, study tours, summer camps or summer schools, different names represent similar products - both tourism product attributes and educational product attributes. “You can learn something while playing” is the main reason why parents favor study tours, especially overseas study tours.
"With the same price, you can attend famous school camps abroad." For this reason, Shao Jianming from Shanghai has signed up for overseas study tours for several years. "In Shanghai, a 4- or 5-day art camp costs 5 or 6 days." Thousands. The summer camps we paid 30,000 to 50,000 yuan lasted for two to three weeks and were immersive. Most of them were organized by prestigious schools in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore, and their quality was guaranteed. The Harker summer camp that my daughter had attended before had a good reputation. "
Shao has a pair of twin daughters who were promoted to junior high school in September this year. They have participated in overseas study tours every year since the fourth grade of elementary school. The total annual expenditure is fixed at 100,000 to 200,000. "For two children, only participating in summer camp is 10 0,000, and winter camp participation is 200,000.”
Shao Jianming said that in the United States, children over 9 years old are generally sent to boarding camps. "We never accompany them. Firstly, we trust the travel agency, and secondly, we want to focus on training their independence. My wife and I really don't have that many vacations."
In addition to qualifications, Shao Jianming also values the diversification of themes in overseas study tour projects. "They have participated in sports camps, programming camps, and art camps, and they say it is fun every time." Shao said that his budget is in the middle range in Shanghai. "A few of my colleagues sign up for summer camp every year for 7 or 8 days." Some even have tens of thousands, and their children are in high school. I heard that after the summer camp, the summary comments written by the organizer will be helpful for the children to apply for foreign universities in the future."
During this year's epidemic, Shao Jianming signed up his daughters for a suddenly popular online study course, hosted by a well-known outdoor sports brand. "It lasted for two weeks, and the content was to learn photography and rock climbing path design from professionals. , learn navigation skills and map making methods...try it first. "
"Let children win at the starting line" is an educational creed that has a profound influence on modern Chinese parents. Guagua from Guangzhou also recently canceled the air ticket from Shanghai to New York on August 2 and canceled the study tour planned a year ago. trip.
Guagua’s daughter is not yet five years old, and this “starting line” is earlier than that of most children. Before that, Guagua had taken her daughter to study in the United States and Australia. She was already in . Los Angeles has taken the Fluid Mechanics Baby Course, and also participated in the Art Enlightenment Course at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. “Three days a week, the teachers will lead the children to experience the world’s famous paintings with picture books. ”
Guagua’s daughter is taking an academic course
Parents like Guagua who make forward-looking and systematic arrangements for their children’s education are not in the minority, especially among the post-80s and post-90s parents who are generally relatively well-educated. .
Xiaoman from Hangzhou has a 5-year-old daughter at home. She formed a study tour trio with two other college classmates whose children are similar in age and have similar educational concepts. “We plan to go together every summer starting from the first grade of elementary school. Study abroad for two or three weeks.
Xiaoman said that in developed countries, study has been integrated into children’s growth since early childhood education. In view of this, she has roughly selected the summer camps she will attend in the next three years. “Select courses on the official website of the American Summer Camp Association, and you can Saw a lot of interesting courses. For example, The Art Institute of Chicago SAIC’s art summer camp is said to be very good, and my daughter happens to like painting. "
Last year, Ctrip released a set of monitoring data showing that the overseas study tour market is showing a trend of younger age, with primary school students accounting for 11%, and the proportion of preschool children jumping from not being included in the calculation a few years ago to 6%. However, overseas study tours The main force is junior high school students, accounting for 49%, followed by high school students, accounting for 24%.
Eye-opening, gaining knowledge, experiencing different cultures, immersive language environment, early visits to foreign universities, and gaining valuable experience. Letter of recommendation... Overseas study tours have different appeals for different families.
Teacher Liang from Shenzhen is also a "preparatory type" parent. Last summer, she took her 8-year-old son to study in Melbourne, Australia, and transferred to a local private school. Study for four weeks. “The cost of joining the class is about 30,000 yuan, which is not expensive. "
Under the epidemic, many parents have changed their strategies for overseas study tours: Teacher Liang will let his children learn tennis this year; Guagua plans to take his children on an in-depth domestic tour during the summer vacation, and Xiaoman has locked in a parent-child summer camp in a hotel in Guilin.
Xiaoman took her children to participate in a parent-child tour in the hotel.
The "White Paper on China's Pan-tourism and Camp Education Industry - Released Version" released by iResearch last year showed that the current unit price of international study tour products ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 yuan.
Although the sudden epidemic has put the hot overseas study tour market into a dormant period, this does not prevent parents from painstakingly continuing to arrange "valuable summer vacations", nor does it prevent major institutions from upgrading their study tour products.
mentioned it a few years ago. During overseas study tours, many people shook their heads and said: “The water is very deep. "This is also the main reason why Guagua and Xiaoman would rather do it themselves than buy ready-made products from related institutions. This year, with the almost devastating blow of the new coronavirus epidemic, parents are worried about more than just "the water is very deep."
“I took a fancy to a Madagascar natural science study tour camp last year, and even paid the registration fee. "Yan Yun, who lives in Guangzhou, has a son who is about to be a sophomore in high school. As early as 10 years ago, the family began to pave the way for his son to study in the United States. On the one hand, his grandparents immigrated to the United States first, and on the other hand, he traveled to various parts of the world every winter and summer vacation. Participate in study tours to improve your quality in all aspects.
Comprehensive quality development is also a major factor in parents’ hopes for study tours.
“My son’s science scores are relatively good. He wants to go to an American polytechnic university, and the study tours he has participated in are all science-based.” The 10-year education plan was forced After turning the corner, Yan Yun was a little at a loss and was even more worried that his application for American universities in two years would be affected.
reporters found that in addition to preparing for study tours in the domestic market, many institutions are currently testing online summer camps, which include many high-quality study tour projects:
For example, the American Museum of Natural History conducts online study tour courses for elementary and middle school students, and each session is online The course costs US$375 and allows you to visit museum exhibits online, watch lectures on different topics and participate in offline science projects. Apple has launched a free online learning program for children aged 8-12 to teach them video production, design and programming.
However, at present, the reputation of various online summer camps is mixed, and students participating in the camps have mixed reactions. After her daughter tried the online summer camp for a few days, Shao Jianming also felt: "There is a big difference between participating in the offline summer camp and it feels more like online classes." The leading teacher of the "Little Diplomat" overseas study tour project has been dedicated to studying the practical help of study tour products on young people's language and social skills for many years.
She maintains a wait-and-see attitude towards the online study group: "Children cannot focus, lack interaction, and the actual conversion rate of what they absorb is very low. Learning, even if it is study, seems to be playing, in fact it also requires atmosphere and attitude. Do you want to Think about it, maybe there is Coke and potato chips next to the child during class, can he concentrate?”
In the interview, Yang Qian, founder of Forsure, a study abroad application agency that specializes in world-famous schools, said: In recent months, she has received many inquiries from parents. , all similar to Yan Yun’s situation.
Regarding the current situation where it is not possible to study abroad, she believes that this is not the only option. “There are many ways to improve children’s knowledge and abilities. Take visiting the overseas study products of high-tech companies as an example. In addition to spending a lot of money to travel to the United States, You can visit Silicon Valley in two weeks. In fact, you can also go to Shenzhen and Dongguan to visit Tencent and Huawei, and visit start-ups in Guangzhou. These are all very good alternatives. Studying abroad should cultivate corresponding hobbies or be a child. After you have a clearer learning direction, you can proceed selectively. "
Study tour activities organized by TV station
As Yang Qian said, many domestic institutions have adjusted and upgraded domestic study tour products this year, and there are many choices.
According to Cui Qihui, project manager of Guangdong CTS Immigration Visa Consulting Co., Ltd., Guangdong CTS focuses on "micro-study abroad experience" and cooperates with famous schools at home and abroad to carry out on-campus theme courses and off-campus extension courses. "These products are mainly for middle school, high school, college and university students, focusing on research-based learning, ranging from 7 days to 30 days. This is an attempt that has never been done before."
After the provincial ban on overseas travel was lifted, Guangzhou Travel immediately launched many products A study tour group carried out an outdoor study tour of "Being a Friend of Nature" around the four major themes of green environmental protection, traditional culture, intangible cultural heritage, and natural ecology. Among them, the "Hanlan Nanhai Solid Waste Treatment and Environmental Protection Industrial Park" and "National Dragon Boat Training Base" study and experience projects are quite new to the children.
In fact, this year’s domestic study tour products have risen to the challenge and been completely transformed, presenting diversified and differentiated themes. When
was interviewed, Zhang Sha, founder of Wansheng Natural Education, was leading a study tour group to Dali. She believed that parents’ anxiety about choosing study tour products was largely due to stereotypes stuck in the past.
"In the future, the differentiation of study tour products in the domestic market will increase, and the price difference will also widen to cater for parents with different needs. Our domestic study tour products are more than 30%-50% more expensive than ordinary products on the market. We focus more on in-depth cultural experiences with a sense of place, exploring nature, and dialogue with art."
Courses close to nature are very popular this summer.
Behind the continued popularity of overseas study tours is the upgrading of education consumption brought about by the quality dividend of China's population. It is also the result of the innovation of educational concepts of Millennial parents. According to New Oriental International Study Tours and AI According to a relevant report from Rui Consulting, in 2017, the number of people participating in international study tours in China was 860,000, expanding at an annual growth rate of more than 20%. It is expected that the number of international study tour users will reach 1.7 million in 2020, and the market size will exceed 40 billion yuan .
In interviews, many industry insiders said that the epidemic will end sooner or later, and the demand for overseas study tours will continue to be released. In the next ten years, it will gradually become a universal demand from a few families.
Yan Yun and Wei Dong. The mothers of these high school students are eager to resume overseas study tours as soon as possible. Yang Qian understands the concerns of these parents: From the perspective of applying to world-famous schools, understanding the school environment and background in advance is a plus. item. But based on their actual work experience over the years, their role is limited.
“In a student’s resume, study tour may only account for one or two sentences. My philosophy is that every good activity, every trait, and every achievement a child participates in is like a pearl. It is more important for children to obtain more pearls and string them into beautiful necklaces. "Yang Qian hopes that parents and children can first recognize themselves and the direction to relieve their anxiety.
"The impact of the epidemic on education is not irreversible. Parents’ educational anxiety can be completely relieved by trying other high-quality educational products. "In the interview, Luo Lina, the founder of the educational public account "BUD Research Institute" pointed out that overseas study tours are just a form, and what is more important is what content is filled in this framework. Luo Lina is an expert in Chinese educational psychology and a director of the China Family Education Association. The public account currently has 2 million followers. She believes that there are many in-depth study tour programs in China that can be tried and implemented as long as they are in line with advanced education and culture.
Both parents and institutions will be helpful during the epidemic. Try to actively change your thinking. Parents are testing the waters, and institutions are trying to survive in adversity. Wei Dong, who claims to have "saved 100 million," has been contacting major famous schools and institutions in Beijing in the past few days, "Let's take a look." Are there any suitable summer camps? "
Cui Qihui of China Travel Service Guangdong revealed that the total volume of the study market at home and abroad has dropped significantly this year. It is expected to pick up starting from the winter vacation next year. The trend of foreign study is temporarily unclear. He emphasized that the company's research and development of overseas study products will improve the quality. , will not be interrupted.
"The study tour market currently lacks products that truly incorporate the educational elements of study tours, and most of them are just side projects based on study tours. I believe that after the baptism of this epidemic, more institutions will work harder to improve the comprehensive quality of primary and secondary school students in combination with the national requirements for research and the educational significance of research. " Cui said.
Zhang Sha leads the Wusheng Study Tour.
Zhang Sha of Wusheng plans to differentiate the Nordic study tour products that are rarely made in China after the epidemic is over. "Chinese parents' demand for education will continue Getting higher and higher, the concepts getting newer and newer. I have confidence in the future market."
Interview: Yu Si
Pictures: Provided by the interviewee
Editor: Wang Qizhang
