The Asiana plane crash in San Francisco Airport on July 6 led to the deaths of three Chinese middle school students. This tragedy touches my heart deeply. Although the crash was caused by an inexperienced pilot, and it was an incidental event, it does make us ponder upon Chinese parents' enthusiasm for sending their children abroad for summer vacation.

Normally in early July, when summer vacation begins, the parents in China are eager to check out all sorts of overseas summer camps for their children.

Take summer camps in the US as an example. According to the Wall Street Journal's report, in order to attract Chinese children, many universities organize various summer activities.

Johns Hopkins University set up a program specially designed for high IQ students, which attracts many Chinese parents.

A suburban Philadelphia summer camp operator said every year, a large number of Chinese students participate, accounting for about three-quarters of total participants.

Besides these projects, many summer camps are simply just tours of parts of the US.

Children sent to other European countries encounter the same situation.

As a high school student, I would say it is time to think rationally on summer camps abroad.

I myself once joined a summer camp to London arranged by our school in sixth grade. To tell the truth, there are not too many memories left from those two weeks.

In a strange place, I was scared more than curious. It is quite impossible to expect kids at our age to deeply understand the local customs and the meaning of each tourist spot, not to say to learn a lot and improve our English level. This summer camp surely did not have a wonderful influence on my growth. Currently, overseas summer camps are getting more and more commercialized. Most parents end up disappointed, and only felt that "at least my child knows the outside world." They are fully aware that there are not many benefits provided to their children by the camp.

In the wrecked plane of San Francisco, those Chinese students were arranged by Jiangshan Middle School to participate in a tightly scheduled summer camp in the US.

Those children were taken to visit many colleges and scenic spots in California. Following the schedule, children would have to glance over things hurriedly, left with no time or opportunity for real study. I would say this is not a camp, but only a "summer tour."

Nowadays many commercialized summer camps seem to have the same problem.

Obviously, a summer camp is not the only choice that Chinese parents can make.

There are a lot of activities which are more useful, beneficial, and helpful for kids' growth, such as joining community activities as a volunteer, getting some job experience, or even reading a good book.

It is time for Chinese parents, schools and the public to reflect on what is best for children's education.

Kevin Wang, a high school student studying in an international school in Beijing