With the coming of summer vacation, a new round of study tour is in full swing. In recent years, the core of the popular overseas study tour should be the combination of "travel" and "study". Some parents believe that study tour not only allows children to visit exotic scenery, but also experience famous overseas schools in a short time, killing two birds with one stone. However, there are also some overseas summer camps, which often cost tens of thousands of yuan in the guise of "integrating education with tourism". In fact, they pay more attention to "tourism" than "learning", which makes students and parents cry out that "it's not worthwhile".
7-year-old children also travel to school
Younger age is a new feature
The rise of parent-child family study tour promotes the younger age of study tour. In July last year, XX from Beijing took her 7-year-old son to the Philippines. She said that taking her children out to play and learn oral English together would kill two birds with one stone.
The author learned from the New Oriental International Study Tour consulting office that the upsurge of studying abroad gave birth to the "study tour fever". For example, 70% of the routes of the main products such as the life experience series of studying abroad in Europe and the United States had been filled up in early June“ A few years ago, junior high school students and senior high school students were the main force of study tours. Now their age has declined, and junior high school students and even primary school students are gradually seizing the market. "
The main purpose of study tour is English speaking countries. Taking the two-week study tour as an example, it costs the most to go to the United States, Canada, Britain and other countries, mostly 30000 or 40000 yuan or more; The relatively low cost is the Asian line, which costs about 10000 yuan or 20000 yuan.
From the perspective of the purpose of study tour, statistics show that nearly 40% of the study tour groups last year were preparing for studying abroad, 30% of the consumers wanted to experience the local conditions and customs abroad, and a considerable number of people only wanted to have a "go as you say" trip.
In the view of Lin Shanshan, a teacher in the Department of tourism management of Zhejiang University, students above middle school and adults are the most suitable for study tours. Primary school students are better to participate in parent-child study tours or self-help tours with their parents.
Personal customized travel and learning
Multiple choices are the key
In the context of diversified demands, "personal customization" is becoming more and more popular. It is the key to the success of study tour to choose a suitable customized product.
Chen junxu, deputy general manager of Maggie's study tour, said that the current customized study tour route can freely combine the proportion of study tour and study tour according to the demand, and the study tour cycle and location selection are more flexible.
In the view of some parents, "studying abroad is a preparatory class.". Parents hope that through the study tour, their children can feel whether they adapt to the life of studying abroad and avoid going abroad blindly. Mr. XX hopes to sow the seeds of studying abroad for his daughter XX, who is a sophomore in junior high school, through the discussion with the study tour organization, according to the children's actual English level and demands, he chose a "morning class, afternoon play" product, and can choose some places to play. Wu Siyi is very happy to experience different study and life in Australia.
However, XX, a sixth grade student in Changsha, was not so lucky. Because her parents did not make a careful comparison of the specific projects of study tour, they thought that they were participating in a two-week study tour in Canada, which included teaching and entertainment. As a result, the children who participated in the tour alone just changed places to play games. Ma XX, a freshman, originally wanted to study in all kinds of famous universities in the United States, but eventually became a "tour here" on campus.
As for the feedback of different study tours, Jin XX, the head of XX International Study Tour Asia, believes that the rationality of the curriculum should be the primary concern, and the focus of study tour is "learning". Only when students go to one or two cities to learn more life-oriented and practical courses, can they really gain.
Consumers also need to keep their eyes on contracts. Chen junxu said that attention should be paid to the implementation, responsible parties and cost settlement of individual customization of study tours.
LV XX, associate professor of Tourism Management Department of Zhejiang University, told this newspaper that non-governmental educational institutions and travel agencies are the main organizers of primary and secondary school students' study tours. The introduction of their study tour products should be standardized and specified, and should not mislead consumers.
Lu XX believes that the real implementation of the study tour can make students collide with different ideas in a foreign country, make students extrovert, and improve their cultural perception ability, which is a beneficial supplement to traditional education.