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[quote=Anonymous]Regardless of whether you support the trip or not, I don't see why people are distinguishing between the class and the rest of the school, and the very intense comments about it not benefiting the entire school.  Support for this year's trip won't benefit the entire school but continued support for a fifth grade class trip (along with 8th and 11th) will eventually lead to benefiting the entire student body - not simultaneously but as they reach the grades where the trip takes place.  I think there will never be complete agreement about which age/grade is the most appropriate and whether and if so how parent chaperones (I'm the one that commented about an international school I know of not allowing parents to chaperone their own kids' trips) will be utilized.  Some who have commented seem to believe that college-age, or at least high-school, would be the most appropriate.  Each kid is different in terms of maturity so there is probably no golden rule.  I do think that kids are more capable than we give them credit for (myself included).  I'm always shocked by what my little one accomplishes without me that she seems incapable (or not fond of) doing by herself when she's not around.  I was lucky enough to travel abroad when I was in fifth grade (albeit a family trip) and although I have traveled intensely since then (including a 9th grade sister city exchange as well as a full year 12th grade exchange as well as college exchanges and working abroad), I still remember that summer very vividly.  I was able to soak up the language way more easily and started the habit of keeping a travel journal which I continued through my early adult years.  I have a pretty poor memory in general but I still remember that experience so vividly.  Travel is more than just the language and culture but also learning independence and gaining confidence.  I went from being barely able to speak the language to having friends with whom I only spoke the language.  Yes, this trip is only a couple of weeks but my sister city exchange was only 10 days (albeit a home stay with a non-English speaking family) and I had the same experience in seeming my language skills improve dramatically.  Learning Chinese will only become more difficult as the kids get older (more pressure in the English subjects as well as the difficulty of improving reading/writing characters) and I think part of the importance of the trip is to motivate the kids.  They'll get to see in a real-life way the fruits of their labor.  
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