Online instruction grows in popularity amid controversy

Big paychecks, govt ban on schoolteacher participation debated

Teachers earning eye-popping paychecks for online classes in subjects ranging from English to physics has stimulated a lively debate across China that touches on the power of Internet instruction, the state of Chinese education and the ethics of entrepreneurship.

Zheng Anke, who earns up to 3.6 million yuan ($554,000) annually through her English classes on WeChat, China's most popular instant messaging app, provides a case in point.