Some teachers think that international student exchange would be beneficial for all teenage school students. Do you think its advantages will OUTWEIGH the disadvantages?

An exchange program has benefits for all adolescent students. Despite there being some dangers of misbehaviour, the benefit of being exposed to a new culture and resulting development of the teenager far outweighs any drawback. When young people are away from home, they are often badly behaved and can get into trouble with teachers and guardians.

That is

to say that they are not under the supervision of their parents and

this

newfound freedom often leads to delinquency.

For example

, when I was in Australia at the age of 16, it was the

first

time I had been away from my parents and I, along with most of my friends, took the opportunity to get drunk for the

first

time.

However

, student exchanges do not need to be like

this

and concern about behaviour can be reduced if the young person is properly supervised and not given the opportunity to misbehave. Attending school in a new country allows students to experience a new culture and learn from the people they are living with.

This

opens their eyes to new attitudes about life, enables them to think critically about their own culture and expands their horizons.

For instance

, I once worked at a holiday school for students from France, and they all commented that they were shocked at how friendly and laid back the Indonesian families were, and

therefore

they would try to replicate

this

hospitality when they returned home.

This

opportunity means that an exchange program is very worthwhile and eclipses any fears about poor behaviour. In conclusion, the cultural opportunities given to teenagers and the chance to develop as a person far outweigh the supposed disadvantages of misbehaviour in a foreign country. It is suggested intensive communication with parents and other stakeholders help the teenagers be more open about what they experience

then

.