British private schools and colleges warned of a sharp drop in admissions of Chinese sixth form students as new evidence emerged that government immigration curbs are deterring foreign teenagers from studying here. Exporting Education UK, which represents more than 500 leading schools and colleges with overseas students, said the number of Chinese teenagers starting sixth form this year had fallen by more than 20 per cent. The warning came as a new study of student attitudes in China revealed that more than a third of its sixth formers who previously intended to study in Britain are now opting for the US or other more "welcoming" nations. The difficulty of obtaining visas, either to study or to work after graduation, are cited as major reasons. Reports Chinanews.com on 7 April 2013