An increasing number of Chinese children – some as young as 10 – are being sent to schools abroad by their ambitious parents, new data shows. 

More than 700,000 Chinese children were enrolled in schools overseas in 2019, an increase of 6% from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Education.

That figure is expected to rise in the coming years, sparking concern from the Chinese government. In January, the Education Ministry said at a national conference that it would build “a mechanism to discourage minors from studying abroad.” 

It believes that some children are too young to be sent so far away for their education.