Mainland summer study tour is expensive, parents complain about poor experience.

As summer vacation arrives, parents have been signing their children up for summer study tours to get them out and about. However, these study tours come with a hefty price tag. A five-day study tour in Beijing cost nearly ten thousand, leaving parents complaining about the poor experience.

According to a report by “Everyday People” on the 12th, even before the study tour for her son had ended, Zhang Huan and other parents were already advocating for their rights in the group chat. The 5-day, 4-night Qingdao sports exploration camp, costing 6000 yuan, was advertised as a program including surfing, paddle boarding, cycling, and rock climbing, but the actual experience fell far short of expectations.

Firstly, the itinerary did not provide good value for money. Waking up around 7 AM, the group arrived at the cycling location past 9 AM, only to spend two hours on theory, wasting the entire morning. Parents had signed up for outdoor activities to let their children “discharge,” not confine them to a different location.

The highlight of the camp was supposed to be surfing, with parents expecting a coach-to-child ratio of about 1:2 for children to surf together. However, there appeared to be just one coach as children took turns to pose for photos without actually surfing. The surfing conditions were also subpar with very shallow waves, barely reaching ankle height, making it impossible to actually surf. A parent from Guangzhou complained, “If we wanted to play with sand, we wouldn’t have to travel from Guangzhou.”

The rock climbing activity also did not meet expectations, lasting less than an hour and taking place indoors without even securing safety ropes. Zhang Huan was particularly concerned about the poor quality of the meals provided, with children having mainly sports-focused activities but not even being provided with milk. The discrepancy between the promotion and the reality led to parents expressing their frustrations in the group chat, while the organizers remained silent.

The poor experience of study tours has become another major point of discontent.

According to a post on the “East Money” Weibo account, on August 5th, a netizen revealed the poor treatment of the Dunhuang study tour organized by New Oriental Cultural Tourism: an 8-day, 7-night tour costing over ten thousand yuan, excluding transportation costs, where children complained of exhausting schedules, substandard hotels, and confiscation of communication devices.

During the summer vacation, Beijing becomes a hub for study tours from all over the country. Residents near the attractions witness scenes of exhausted children braving temperatures of 36-37 degrees Celsius, sweating profusely as they walk, eat cheap boxed lunches, and sometimes even have to sit on the ground due to lack of seating. Teachers lead the groups in high temperatures, exhibiting short tempers, shouting at the children, disregarding traffic rules, and focusing solely on taking photos, leaving the children feeling like props.

Peking University and Tsinghua University are particularly infamous for study tours. Last year, students disclosed to Henan TV’s “Xiao Li Helps” that the promotional materials of the study tours did not match the reality. Since these universities don’t allow commercial study tour groups inside, children were limited to taking photos at the entrance, staying in outskirts accommodation, some in temporary structures with unfinished roofs and inadequate air conditioning, forcing some children to sleep on the floor, miss meals, and even endure reprimands from instructors.

Even this year, passersby at the entrance of Tsinghua University can witness a similar scene: under scorching temperatures, children who spent nearly ten thousand to come to Beijing for a study tour line up in front of the stone with the school motto “Self-Discipline and Social Commitment,” taking photos in crumpled bachelor gowns that are quickly passed on to the next child in a streamlined process.

On social media platforms, many overseas Chinese have also shared the frenzy of study tours they’ve witnessed: in Boston, known for having the best educational resources in the US, approximately one-third of the summer study tour participants are Chinese, with Chinese signage even appearing in parking lots. At Oxford and Cambridge universities, the lawns are filled with Chinese elementary school students posing for pictures.

Post-pandemic, amid the “double reduction” policy and cooling education sector, middle-class parents hope to broaden their children’s horizons and experiences during the summer vacation. This has fueled the booming market of study tours, with various high-priced study tours emerging, and some schools even introducing summer study programs.

As a media person, Zhang Huan had long heard about high-priced study camps. However, this summer when she actually looked into signing her child up for a tour, she was shocked: over 9000 yuan, excluding round-trip airfare; going to Egypt costs 30,000, and Croatia costs 30,000. “For a family of three, including transportation costs, it’s over a hundred thousand.” If they opt for additional themed activities like English speeches, drama performances, or experiencing classes in foreign schools, the cost doubles.

Despite considering signing her child up for a study tour to enrich their summer experiences, Zhang Huan, whose both parents work, felt that alternatives like spending time at obscure sports clubs domestically were surprisingly expensive too. For instance, a 7-day Taishan kayaking camp costs 20,000. After comparing multiple options, she chose a study tour that was diverse with a price of 6000 yuan, only to end up disappointed.

Industry insiders view “study tours” as a variation of travel tours. Study tours focusing on educational value often employ gimmicks from the start to convince parents to willingly pay high tour fees. Middle-class parents, fearing their children falling behind, have become targets for many study tours looking to cash in. The study tour market is filled with a mix of large company tourism departments and small workshops run by one or two individuals.