Educators switch on to new revenue stream

A physics teacher surnamed Zhang has been giving live online courses, and in one day can bring in as much as some teachers earn in a year. Each of his seven classes lasts one hour, and more than 9,400 students paid nine yuan ($1.40) each for classes. This means Zhang can earn 67,000 yuan after platform commissions. Teachers earning such eye-popping paychecks for online classes in subjects ranging from English to physics have stimulated a lively debate across China that touches on the power of internet instruction, the state of Chinese education and the ethics of entrepreneurship.

Student's voice: Online courses are convenient, cheap and have given me more choices

A good thing about online courses is that you can see reviews from other students, just like online shopping. All of the teachers' information is posted online and I can choose teachers based on my style of learning. In addition to being very cheap and convenient, I don't have to take a long time to get somewhere and take the class. I can enjoy studying at my home during the winter. Online courses have no limits on attendance. The more students who sign up for the course, the cheaper it will be.