Some educationists believe that the program of international exchange visits will benefit teenage school students. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Exchange visits are gaining popularity in the modern education system as these are believed to benefit teenage school students. I opine that the pros of these visits definitely outweigh the cons as even though these visits may be expensive, they support the students’ personal growth.

On the one hand, international exchange visits can be quite expensive for students and their families. As teenage students are dependent on their parents, all the costs of exchange programs such as travel and living expenses are incurred by the parents, which can be quite burdensome for them. For example, when Indian students participate in cultural exchange programs with their hosts in Germany, their parents have to pay extra fee for their entire trip, food as well as leisure activities in terms of Euros, making such programs a costly venture.

On the other hand, international exchange visits are the perfect way to expose young students to diverse cultures, lifestyles and people allowing them to expand not only their knowledge, but also their awareness. For instance, pupils that partake in exchange visits are able to be involved in cross-cultural engagements with their hosts, experience their education system as they attend classes at their host school and get a taste of local food and art, building a culturally aware mindset in these students. Moreover, such international experiences allow students to gain confidence and independence as they travel across international borders and stay away from their parents at such a young age, impacting their overall development.