Dear editor,
Since the start of Korea's rapid economic growth, many people have gone overseas. It has also been suggested that children should be required to go abroad to improve their English.
While some see it positively, studying in foreign countries has many negative influences on families and our society.
Firstly, children are too young to be alone in foreign countries. They need more attention from their parents because young people have difficulties in dealing with their problems.
When a juvenile faces troubles, it will be difficult to find someone who can give advice to him or her. They can also easily commit delinquent acts because there are many temptations around them.
Secondly, sending young children abroad also causes social problems here in Korea. There are increasing numbers of so-called goose fathers; men who send their families overseas for education and live alone as mere working machines.
According to recent news, they are likely to go bankrupt because of the heavy burden of expensive school fees. Many even commit suicide on account of loneliness and frustration. In addition, the divorce rate is increasing since the relationship between spouses weakens during separation.
Lastly, studying in foreign countries can be a waste of money. These days, the quality of English education in Korea is very high.
Even if students don't go abroad to improve their English, they could have a high level of education in public schools or private institutes.
Compared to attending schools domestically, it costs a huge amount of money to study overseas. This can lead the Korean economy to financial hardship, especially in these difficult times.
While it may be getting easier to travel to America, as prospective students no longer require a visa, studying abroad has a number of negative effects, as I have mentioned above.
Therefore, we should think carefully and not overlook these drawbacks when we consider sending our children overseas for studying.
Choe Na-young Usan-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju russi106@naver.com