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How young is too young to study abroad?
We've been following the story of nine teenage South Florida students and one teacher who have been quarantined in China because they were seated in close proximity to a man who had swine flu symptoms on their plane.
It seems some of our readers were surprised, not because the Chinese were so worried about swine flu, but because teenagers were touring a foreign country without their parents.
"Who in their right mind would allow their CHILD to travel to China?" wrote one reader who calls himself (or herself) "Alrighty Then."
Alrighty then, who would? If the tiny bit of research I've done is any indication, study abroad programs are plentiful and often welcome teenagers. Adults chaperones accompany them, but the majority of children participating are not accompanied by their parents.
I don't know that there's a right or wrong answer here. I saw one site that featured a study abroad program in Spain that welcomes children as young as 5.
I'd draw the line there. No way am I sending a 5-year-old to Spain, or any other country, without me or my wife. It's tough enough seeing your child off to his first day of school for a few hours. Shipping him off to another country for a few days or weeks? I can't imagine it.
When is a child old enough to study abroad? And how much does it depend on the destination?
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work...
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Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters...
Anne Vasquez is the Online Editor in charge of overseeing SunSentinel.com. She is the mother of a 5-year-old boy and a newborn daughter.
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Comments
I see no problem with letting a teenager travel and study abroad as long as the program was accredited and checked into. Whether or not ALL teenagers are mature enough to handle the responsibility of taking such a big trip without parents, however, is another story completely. Some teens are very mature and understand the risks, while others are not and do not. Ultimately I believe that assessment should be made by the teen and the parent TOGETHER, the teen should know his parents concern if they inquire about a trip and get a negative response. Teens need to be let go eventually, and while some may see this as a big step in that process, to other parents and teens who have begun the process earlier this may very well be something that particular family can handle. Now, the issue of the 5 year old i am in agreement with, that is too young. But a teenager is a young adult, they should be ready to handle their own actions and take care of themselves. no one ever said they would be going ALONE, adult supervision is provided.
Posted by: michelle | June 11, 2009 2:29 PM
Doesn't it also depend on the country, though? I can't comment on China because I'm involved in reporting this particular story, but I'd think twice before sending my teens to certain countries. Iran and North Korea are obvious. Plenty of others. Yet I wouldn't hesitate to send them to Spain, Greece, Argentina, Egypt...
Posted by: Rafael | June 11, 2009 2:54 PM
My first trip to another country: I was 6 years old, chaperoned by a conductor of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (1956), going from southern Germany into French-occupied Saar territory.
My second trip to another country: I was 14 years, working in Sweden in a cardboard factory.
My third trip was working on a freighter between Luebeck, Kotka (Finland) and San Sebastian (Spain) (1965).
My fourth trip: I was 16 years, studying the French language for 2 weeks in Paris/France.
Therafter I lost track of all the foreign trips.
My kids: Sent them with a chaperone (LH stewardess) on their first Paris-Hamburg flight, when they were 6 and 5 years (1990).
Their second trip was without a chaperone for the same leg. They had a blast (1991). They even did not turn around after check-in Paris to say by-by.
So were is the problem?
Posted by: Floridacargocat | June 14, 2009 4:18 PM