The family made a decision to send the boy to Germany for study, using an overseas study service company.

After receiving language training in Beijing for six months the boy will attend a preparatory school in Germany for one year. Later, he will take another exam for admission to a German university.

"Anyway, it's much easier to get a good education in Germany than in China," said the father. "And my son will be more competitive than his peers staying in China with his good command of foreign language and overseas experience."

Wu is not the first case in his high school.

Last year, two of his schoolmates one grade higher, went to Australia and Germany immediately after graduation.

In recent years, students going abroad tend to be younger.

"Several years ago, most cases involved university students," said a senior educational consultant surnamed Jin, in the Shanghai Overseas Chinese International Service Company. "But things changed recently."

Insiders said about 10 per cent of Shanghai students going abroad in 2001 were juveniles.

There are no exact statistics on the number of juvenile Chinese studying abroad. But information from Chinese embassies indicates that the number of juvenile students overseas has risen rapidly in recent years. Their destinations include Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. In 2001, more than 5,000 high school students received study visas from Australia, nearly half of the total number of students visas.

Chinese parents have a wider vision of educational options, as well as reflecting the fact that more Chinese have full wallets.

As a tradition, Chinese families are willing to sink their savings into the most valuable investment - education - rather than in stocks or property.

"A good education is life-long wealth. I would spend money for my daughters' overseas study, which is better than giving them money," said Huang Liang, a businessman. His elder daughter has studied in Britain for one year and the younger one will follow suit next year.

Most of these children are from wealthy families or those with high social status, said Jin.

The price tag

The Chinese Government has realized that the education industry is a new economic hot spot but the present education system can't provide enough opportunities for students. So parents look abroad.

Foreign schools have started to dig another gold mine and hold educational fairs in China's big cities.

Study in Canada costs about 100,000 yuan (US$12,000), and the cost in Britain is double that. To get a bachelors degree in Britain, one should be prepared to spend from 800,000 to 1 million yuan (US$95,000-125,000).

That cost is too high for most Chinese families, given that per capita GDP (gross domestic product) of Shanghai is about US$4,500, the highest in China.

Wu's parents estimate that they should expect to pay at least 500,000 yuan (US$60,314) for the boy's school tuition and university living costs.

Both of the parents are doctors, and their annual income is less than 100,000 yuan (US$12,063). To afford the boy's expenses, they have to ask Wu's grandparents for help.

Most families prepare to meet overseas study costs by legal means but a few take the opportunity for money laundering. Some government officials and heads of State-owned enterprise send their children to foreign countries in the name of study. They then transfer their illegal income out of China.

Hidden problems

Although parents are eager to send their young children abroad, education experts point out that it is a risky investment and may be not good for the children's growth.

The juveniles have the advantage of learning a foreign language and culture but they are not always mature enough mentally. Some are not independent enough to take care of themselves in a foreign society.

"Their language skills improve slowly because their social life is mainly within the Chinese group," said Hai Ying, an overseas student in Britain. "Many Chinese students seldom communicate with local people to practise spoken English, instead they mostly speak Chinese in daily life except in class."

Parents provide their children with abundant money. However, some can't manage it well and abuse the money for luxuries or even gambling.

Another risk comes from irresponsible intermediate agencies and poor overseas educational organizations.

Local authorities recently selected 14 qualified agencies to regulate the chaotic market in overseas study services. But this does not necessarily ensure that students can attend a reliable school or university.

Some parents are too eager to send their children abroad, without considering the quality of the school. "For example, in some bad schools in Australia, more than 20 students are from China in one class. And teachers are also Chinese," Jin said.

In recent years, many Japanese short-term universities have opened to attract more foreign students. In some universities, over 90 per cent of foreign students are from China.

To pay for the high tuition, students have to take part-time jobs, and some even spend all time working. Once such illegal actions are uncovered students may be sent home, without their tuition fees being returned.

Years ago, only elite students would be admitted by foreign universities, so students with overseas educational backgrounds were warmly welcomed.

But "overseas education" has been devalued step by step, because it's not only a matter of quality, but also of wealth.

Unlike university students, who are strictly evaluated and selected, juvenile students going abroad are rarely the top ones. "Otherwise, they could attend China's key universities at a much lower cost," Jin explained.

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