What should I pay attention to when studying in the UK at a young age?

A guardian studying abroad, as its name implies, is a special person who acts as a guardian for the parents of underage international students.

Why do you need a guardian to study abroad? Young students who are not deeply involved in the world often face various challenges in their study, life, extracurricular practice, career development and so on. Most parents of international students have no time to accompany them directly. Therefore, it is very important to find a suitable guardian to take care of the children.

Nowadays, more and more families choose to send their children abroad from middle school and primary school, and all kinds of news about the difficulties faced by small international students abroad are also pouring in. This highlights the necessity of guardians.

What are the requirements of the British government, laws and schools for guardians?

Requirements of the UK Visa Center

The British Visa Center stipulates that when applying for a student visa, underage international students must provide the information of the guardian studying abroad, otherwise they may be refused a visa. It is clearly pointed out in the UK T4 points system guide "Nursing arrangement". Students need to "make appropriate arrangements for any children's travel to the UK, port reception and living arrangements in the UK". Having a guardian is an important condition for successfully obtaining a visa.

The requirements of English law

The British "20 16 Special Guardianship Regulations (Revised Edition)", 1989 Child Protection Act, and the 2002 Maintenance and Child Protection Act also clearly stipulate that full-time international students under the age of 18 must cooperate with legal guardians.

Requirements of British schools

Before school starts, the school will ask parents to provide guardian information. Most British schools (including boarding schools) require overseas students to have guardians, so that they can have "surrogate parents" to take care of them during study, vacation, travel and emergency. Even if students are over 18 years old, some middle schools will recommend having a guardian until they enter the university. British schools usually recommend AEGIS-certified guardianship agencies.

What is the role of the guardian?

In the eyes of some parents, guardians will only help in an emergency; Some parents think that guardians are just a formality. In fact, the role of guardians is far greater than this. The role of the guardian includes:

1. Promote communication between parents and schools, and help children fight for school resources.

British schools communicate with parents in English, and written documents such as transcripts and teacher comments are not written in Chinese. Coupled with the 8-hour time difference and international long-distance calls, the communication between schools and parents will face many difficulties. English-fluent guardians can help parents communicate with schools and become a bridge between parents, schools and students.

Although small class system prevails in Britain, it is difficult for schools to take care of every student, and sometimes it is inevitable to favor local students. Some guardians help children fight for rights and interests, such as changing classes and arranging to update dormitories.

In addition, the school has 1-3 parent-teacher conferences every year. If parents can't attend, they can entrust guardians to attend, ask questions and requirements instead of parents, and feed back teachers' opinions to parents.

2. Take care of children's lives and guide their growth.

The education, climate, soil and water, lifestyle and interpersonal communication in Britain are very different from those in China, and even many graduate students in their twenties need a year or so to adapt. In addition, young international students are still in adolescence, and they know nothing about the world. When they are alone, it is easy to feel lonely and want to go home, which makes them unable to concentrate on their studies, and may even make bad friends and cultivate bad hobbies.

Therefore, the guardian's duty is to take care of the lives of young international students and help them handle the registration of police stations and the purchase of stationery like parents. At the same time, guardians should also help children actively integrate into the new environment, adjust their psychology and cultivate correct values.

3. Pay attention to children's health and arrange medical treatment properly.

The body of young international students is still developing, and the climate in Britain is cold, windy and rainy, which easily makes children with weak constitution feel uncomfortable. Children at this stage don't know how to take care of their health. Therefore, it is another duty of the guardian to pay close attention to the child's physical condition and make an appointment with a GP (doctor) or a private doctor in time.

The NHS full name medical insurance system in Britain can basically realize free medical care, but the medical treatment process is complicated and takes a long time. If you don't know how to see a doctor, it's normal to wait in line for two or three weeks with a sore throat. Therefore, it is very necessary to have a guardian who understands British medical care and has medical experience.

4. Reasonable arrangement of ***4 months' holiday every year.

Many holidays in Britain can account for one-third of the whole year, including mid-term, Easter, summer vacation, Christmas, and Exeat, which is closed up to six times a year (that is, the dormitory is closed on weekends and students must leave school). Except for winter and summer vacations, other holidays will not be too long. Children may not be able to go home in time, and parents may not be able to fly to England. So what should children do during their holidays?

At this point, the guardian can arrange for the child to live in a host family. Host families are often British local families, which is an excellent opportunity to learn English and a window to integrate into British culture. In addition, guardians can also find tutors for their children, or help them arrange transportation, accommodation and safety, or participate in volunteer, internship, scientific research and other activities to enrich their holiday life.

When returning to China in winter and summer vacation, the guardian mainly helps the children to screen suitable air tickets, arrange transportation, and be ready to deal with various problems during the trip.

It can be said that the teacher is a "parent at school" and the guardian is a "holiday parent".

5.24-hour emergency contact

Guardians are on call 24 hours a day to deal with emergencies, such as sudden illness, traffic accidents, property losses, delays in international flights, and campus situations, such as campus violence, suspension of classes, persuasion, etc. Professional guardians don't have strict off-duty hours, and their mobile phones don't turn off. They live at most three hours' drive from school. Their role is still very important. After all, parents are far away in China. Who doesn't want someone to help their children out of trouble as soon as possible?

The author sorts out the following table for readers' reference:

* It should be noted that there are many guardianship companies in the UK, and their qualifications are uneven. Parents need to carefully screen them.

What rules does the British government have for guardians?

Can all adults in Britain be guardians? In fact, the British government has various regulations on guardians, and not everyone can be a guardian. If the guardian provided when submitting the visa does not meet the requirements, the visa may be refused. Here the author briefly introduces the official requirements.

The British government stipulates that guardians must:

Age greater than 18 years old (most schools require age greater than 25 or 30 years old); Not a full-time student at school

Is a British resident with British citizenship, a green card or a legal job.

Good health; Personal credit record is good

Personal location is close to the school where students attend.

Pass the investigation of no criminal record (i.e. DBS, disclosure and prohibition of services; All work involving minors in Britain must be handled by DBS)

When choosing a guardian, parents should check the above conditions one by one, objectively consider the advantages and disadvantages, abide by the relevant regulations, and sign a standardized agreement with the guardian.

In addition, we also suggest that parents consider other points:

Excellent English and communication experience with schools;

Whether you are familiar with British laws and regulations, customs and habits, and the British education system;

Whether there is enough time and patience to take care of children's life, study and health;

Can you properly handle emergencies 24 hours a day?

Whether you are familiar with British medical care;

Whether accommodation, transportation and activities can be properly arranged for students' holidays;

But when I can't fulfill my guardianship obligations, I can find other suitable guardians to hand over.

You can legally exercise the right to sign on behalf of your parents

How to find a guardian?

Next, the ways to find guardians and their advantages and disadvantages are introduced in detail for parents' objective reference.

1. Entrust relatives and friends in Britain.

Leon: This may be the parents' first thought. Relatives and friends also come from China, have the same culture and living habits, and understand children's needs. For example, if children are not used to local food in Britain, they can have a full meal at their relatives and friends' homes. Since everyone speaks Chinese, there will be no obstacles to communication. Besides, we know each other and trust each other. However, parents should also pay attention to choosing someone who can really assume the responsibility of guardianship, preferably someone with excellent English, knowledge of private education in Britain, parenting experience and free time.

Disadvantages: According to the author's experience, if the guardian's English is not good enough or he doesn't understand the operation of British schools, I'm afraid he can play a very limited role in guardianship. If he is busy at ordinary times, I'm afraid he can't help the children as soon as possible when they need it. There are also some Chinese who have lived in the Chinese community for a long time and have little knowledge of the real British society, which may not be suitable. In addition, some relatives and friends are not good at shirking because of human feelings, but they are actually incompetent. These are all worthy of parents' consideration.

2. Ask the school to recommend a guardian

In favor: the school has rich experience in running schools and is very familiar with guardians, so the recommendation of the school is also a good choice. The school will screen out the guardianship companies with good reputation, so the service quality is more guaranteed. Some schools even provide their own guardian services. Other schools can do anything except provide guardians and host families.

Disadvantages: Such shortcomings are also obvious. The guardian is the representative of parents, and should safeguard the vital interests of parents and students from the perspective of parents and students and supervise the work of the school. In some cases, the cooperative institutions recommended by the school will inevitably be biased towards the interests of the school, such as conflicts between children and dormitory teachers, which can not achieve the original intention of finding guardians.

3. Find a guardian through a study abroad institution.

Pro: If the service of the children's intermediary teacher is good, it is also a good choice to ask an intermediary. I have rich experience in the study abroad intermediary industry and many student cases. I will know more about the local guardianship companies in the UK and can usually recommend good guardianship agencies. At least, if parents are not satisfied with the guardianship company recommended by the intermediary, they can find an intermediary to help solve it.

Disadvantages: We also don't recommend that parents entrust this matter to an intermediary completely. The reason why an intermediary recommends a guardianship company is often because the other party provides a generous commission to the intermediary. Therefore, this is essentially driven by commercial interests, and the commission provided by the guardianship company is not directly related to its actual service quality. Therefore, parents' recommendation to the intermediary also needs careful consideration.

4. Go directly to Guardian Company

Agree: This method is most suitable for parents who want to find the most suitable guardianship service. If parents really do in-depth research, they will definitely find a way. A really good company will have professional institutional endorsements, which will give people a more credible impression when communicating. The guardianship industry is very mature in Britain, with certain industry norms and access thresholds. Different institutions have different characteristics to meet the specific needs of parents, and it is worth investing some energy in research.

Disadvantages: It takes a lot of effort to find the British Guardian company directly, especially through the search engine. On the one hand, there are many guardianship companies in Britain, and some companies even have only one person. At first glance, it will be difficult to know which ones are reliable. On the other hand, many guardianship companies do not support Chinese communication. In addition, the package content and price offered by each company will be different.

What is the so-called Aegis certification in British schools?

British schools often advise parents to choose a guardianship company with AEGIS certification, rather than entrusting relatives and friends or a guardianship company without certification. The British Ministry of Education also gave similar advice.

The reason why the school recommended Aegis Certification Company is mainly because they follow the standards of guardianship industry, are more familiar with British education and understand the operation mode of the school, which can help the school provide satisfactory teaching and ensure the coordination between the school and the family to the greatest extent. In contrast, relatives and friends are often inexperienced and have to study and do it now. On the one hand, it takes more time for school teachers and leaders to explain various things. On the other hand, it is difficult for children to properly handle the difficulties they face. In addition, after all, relatives and friends have their own jobs, and once they are busy, it is easy to delay the children's affairs.

So what exactly is Aegis certification? The Chinese name of AEGIS is "Education and Development Association &; International student guardianship), equivalent to the ISO quality certification of the British guardianship industry. AEGIS certification requirements are very high, and only companies that have passed the strict inspection by ISI and OFSTED can pass. Therefore, although there are hundreds of guardian companies in Britain, only dozens of them have obtained Aegis certification.

In addition, Aegis is also a visa plus item recommended by the British Visa and Immigration Bureau. Choosing a guardian company with Aegis certification is more conducive to successfully obtaining a student visa.

Do I need guardianship services?

If parents meet the following two or more conditions, it is best to entrust a professional guardianship company to take care of their children:

This child is studying in England for the first time.

Children are not completely independent, or young, and need time to adapt to the new environment.

Children are immature or introverted.

Children lack self-control and are easily addicted to the internet and games.

My parents are not fluent in English, but only master basic daily conversation skills.

Parents don't know enough about the British education system, the operation mode of British private schools and British culture.

Parents are usually busy at work.

Parents hope that their children can concentrate on their studies when studying abroad and avoid wasting time on various chores.

Parents are worried about their children's safety in Britain.

For the following situations, parents may consider entrusting relatives and friends as guardians:

The child will be 18 years old, independent, mature and stable in academic performance.

Parents are fluent in English and familiar with the education, culture and life in Britain. They can often visit their children in Britain or accompany them directly.

If parents themselves are about to start working in Britain, naturally there is no need to consider guardians.

How to find the most suitable guardianship service?

There are many guardian companies in the British market, so it is still difficult to screen them. I suggest that the following factors should be fully considered:

1. Whether there is AEGIS certification ("British International Student Education Guardianship Alliance" certification). Aegis certification is the industry standard of Guardian, and the approval is strict. It can't be said that a company without Aegis certification is not good, but a company with Aegis certification must be screened and have a good reputation and strength. In contrast, the services of companies without Aegis certification may not be so guaranteed.

2. Whether it is within 3 hours' drive of the student's school. The guardian is too far away from the school to delay his work. Generally speaking, it is best for students studying in the UK to choose the guardian company in London, because London is the transportation hub and educational resources gathering place in the UK, and guardians can handle all kinds of situations in time. In addition, the guardianship company, which is an hour or two's drive from the student school, is also good.

3. Do you support Chinese service and WeChat communication? Considering the communication function of guardians, the author suggests giving priority to companies with China employees to help communicate with parents. In addition, it is also important for the company to consider the habits of China people using WeChat and QQ. After all, most parents are not used to using WeChat.

4. Does it give people a professional, responsible and efficient impression? Every company, even every guardian, has a different style. For example, big companies are not necessarily better than small companies. Some large guardianship companies are large in scale and have done enough brand promotion, but there may be cases where guardians are too busy to take orders; Some small companies give people the impression that they are not so powerful, but their services may be more refined and personalized, and each guardian is responsible for fewer students. In addition, British companies pay attention to processes, which are not as flexible as China companies, and their efficiency is generally low. These aspects are worthy of parents' attention.

5. Do you really care about the guardianship service? A "good" guardian can do a good job of taking care of students' safety, while an "excellent" guardian can go further and take care of children's growth with parents' mentality, including providing him with academic help, shaping a positive character and cultivating correct values. Whether a company is committed to service can be seen from the service plan; For example, whether the service model takes into account the habits of China families is a very important criterion.

6. Whether the service content is suitable for the actual situation of children. From the age point of view, the younger children need more monitoring content, while children who are almost 18 years old and basically independent may only need basic security and homestay services. From the point of view of personality, introverted children may find it difficult to integrate into British culture and need more psychological care, while extroverted children may be easily tempted and even led astray by bad friends. In these cases, parents had better choose a more comprehensive monitoring service.

Guardian FAQ

1. Is the guardian equal to the host family?

Guardian and host family are two concepts, two roles, not equal. The guardian is responsible for taking care of the children's study and life all year round. Host families provide accommodation, help children integrate into British culture, practice English, and usually assume custody.

Children can stay in different host families and experience life in different places and families every holiday, but guardians usually follow their children from beginning to end. Changing host families during holidays will not have much impact, but changing guardians will often affect children's study and life.

2. Why do some institutions directly let host families be guardians? Is this good?

In order to save labor costs, some institutions let host families act as guardians. The author thinks that the advantages of this arrangement outweigh the disadvantages for students.

First of all, such an arrangement is difficult to supervise whether the host family is conscientious, and it is difficult for students to change their dissatisfaction with the host family. Just as bus drivers should not be guardians, so should host families. The guardian should be an independent role, representing the interests of parents and children to supervise and manage the work of schools, host families, drivers and other parties.

Moreover, the guardian's work is very busy, from contacting the dormitory teacher to taking the students to see a doctor, everything must be present in person. Host families often only receive students after school hours, so it is not practical to let them be guardians.

Therefore, when parents choose guardianship services, it is best to choose a company with clear responsibilities between guardians and custody families. Each role performs its own duties and works together to do the best job.

3. Can a child stay in a hotel on holiday?

For the safety of minors, British schools strictly prohibit students from staying in hotels or homestays during holidays (except during travel), and offenders will be punished. Host families are the first choice for minor students to stay in Britain during holidays. Of course, underage students can also live in the homes of relatives and friends with the consent of the school.

4. How much is the guardian service fee in the UK?

There are many guardianship services in the British market, which can be divided into two categories. One is to take care of students' life, vacation and study in an all-round way, and the price is about 3,000-7,000 pounds. The other is to provide emergency assistance and residential care services, and the price is about 65,438+0,500-2,500.

Parents are advised not to choose the lowest-priced service directly to save money. This kind of service mainly involves security protection, and requires students to have considerable independence and be able to deal with various problems independently. Communicate with school leaders and housekeepers, make insurance claims, arrange accommodation and holiday activities, etc. It may be that children handle it themselves, which will inevitably affect their studies, and things may not be handled well.

5. When is the appropriate time to start looking for a guardian?

You can start looking for a guardian after your child decides which school to go to in the future. You must determine the guardian before applying for a visa in summer. The sooner you decide the guardian, the sooner you can make scientific and reasonable preparations and plans for studying abroad, because professional guardians can give scientific advice in advance from the perspective of professionals, which usually does not generate additional expenses.