The Chinese government issued a notice to parents to read carefully overseas study programs given to them after a series of lawsuits filed by dissatisfied parents.
According to the Ministry of Education , 523,700 Chinese citizens studied at undergraduate level overseas in 2015, compared with 339,700 in 2011. There is also a wide range of programs being offered, such as summer camps and non-degree study trips.
Some parents have sued organizers for not delivering what was promised particularly on food and accommodations.
A parent from Beijing recently filed a case against a middle school. He sent his 12-year-old son for a 10-month study tour in the U.S.
"We hoped a trip to the US would help broaden his horizons and experience, so we allowed him to participate in a study tour organized by the school. But when he told us about the food and lodgings in the U.S., we weren't satisfied," said the family, who preferred to remain anonymous.
He added, "We paid 330,000 yuan ($49,500), but we never thought the daily food allowance would be just $3.33 and he would have to share a room with 10 other students. We couldn't accept that, so we allowed him to come home early, and then sued the school."
The court in Beijing dismissed the case as there was no contract between the parents and the school that would stipulate the services that would be rendered.
"They didn't sign a formal contract with the school. In other words, they had no evidence to prove the organizers didn't deliver what they had promised," said Yang Lu, the judge who heard the case.
A report issued by the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas indicated that the number of students going for overseas study is increasing and are getting younger.
The report said "The U.S., Australia and Canada are some of the leading destinations for Chinese high school students going abroad. The number of Chinese students enrolled in Australian high schools increased 20 percent from 2013 to 2014."