A TOTAL of 10,442 students went abroad via 15 local overseas study agencies last year, a 20-percent decrease from 2011, the education authorities said today.
The growth of international courses at local public schools and an increasing proportion of students going abroad on their own resulted in the drop, experts said.
Nationwide, nearly 400,000 Chinese study abroad at their own expense last year - a 17.65-perent increase over 2011.
More and more younger children and those from middle-income families go abroad to study now.
Students planning to study abroad can attend the China International Education Exhibition Tour 2013, which will be held in the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall this weekend.
Delegates from a total of 178 universities and education institutes from 19 countries and areas will participate in the fair where they can have face-to-face contact with local students.
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