When Wu Wenhua was growing up in the 1980s, hardly anyone bothered to learn English. Now that she has a son, she believes that knowing the language is key to opening doors. Ms Wu, 38, signed Ryan, 11, up for an online service, called VIPKid, that connects Chinese grade schoolers with U.S. teachers for one-on-one classes. The lessons take place over a videoconferencing system and both work on a digital chalkboard to the left. Parents can also track their children’s progress though this system.
Chinese parents have always prioritized academic achievement; now with the means to invest, UBS says the domestic market will double to $165 billion within five years. The high expectations that they have on their children creates a demand for online tutoring.
VIPKid has set itself apart by recruiting American teachers and positioning its services as similar to the education in top U.S. schools. Cindy Mi, the startup’s 34-year-old founder, argues that teaching online allows the kind of data analysis and scientific review that will lead to fundamental improvements in education.
However, some Chinese parents are souring on the experience. Jean Liu tried several online schools and then moved her eight-year-old daughter back to the classroom. The Beijing mother noticed that services tend to deploy their best teachers in ads and introductory courses. Liu also thinks it’s difficult for youngsters to sit in front of a computer for a whole hour.
And while many parents like VIPKid’s one-to-one teacher-student ratio, as the startup signs up more kids it faces a challenge in lining up enough instructors to teach them.
Mi is undaunted. She says there are millions of qualified U.S. teachers who have left the profession or are looking for extra work so shortages are not a concern. Her company just raised $200 million, allowing her to step up investments in marketing, engineers and research.
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Source: Bloomberg, 8 September 2017