Education without thought is labor lost

The 2013 Global Talent Blue Book: Annual Report on Chinese Students Studying Abroad says the percentage of overseas Chinese students returning to the country increased by 46.56 in 2012. But 77.5 percent of the returnees who responded to a survey said their salaries were much lower than expected, with only 1.8 percent saying their pay was more than they expected.

The annual report also says that students who return from overseas need a long time to cover their education costs - 48.8 percent of the returnees who seek employment need five years or more to cover their education costs or repay their education loans. This has prompted some to say that overseas study has become a "gambling investment".

But despite the declining "investment returns", overseas studies have become increasingly popular. A survey shows that 450,000 Chinese students chose to study abroad in 2013, and the figure is likely to increase by 15 percent this year.