Some educators believe that international school exchange visits are important for teenage children. To what extent do you agree or disagree ?

That senior and higher secondary students stand to gain by experiencing schooling in a different country is the opinion of a number of pedagogics. In today’s world of increased mobility across not only nations but even continents I am inclined to favour this belief. It is often said that the world is shrinking though not in the literal sense but arguably so in the figurative. This is because education, business, employment and even tourism are throwing people in to a cultural melting pot on an ever-growing basis. Learning early about differences across cultures and political borders will stand one in good stead in the long run. To begin with, learning a hitherto alien culture opens up the teen mind to an acceptance of doing things differently. Further, this develops an understanding and tolerance for a set of values divergent from the only ones that existed in the adolescent psyche. Thirdly sharing learnings and experiences leads to a mutual betterment in various facets of life. Lastly, in-person interactions have many more dimensions and a lot more give and take. Though a lot can be gleaned from reading, print or online, or from watching television, these are one-way communications thus limiting their possible benefits. That said, each human being is unique and may have a different reaction to the same stimuli. An introvert may feel retract further in to his shell if he feels threatened in the presence of, what to him are, strange people. Another aspect that needs attention is that teenaged minds are still malleable and not fully mature. A misunderstanding with an unfamiliar set of persons could led to a negative experience that may permanently scar a still raw psyche.