Nowadays, children in China face a lot of pressure to study. From there, the profession of accompanying children's development has been born and flourished in the cities. Besides tutoring children to complete their homework, 'super' tutors will plan extracurricular activities, take children to after-school classes and help them prepare for events...

To do this job, candidates for the position of child companion need to have a bachelor's degree. The salary is about 60,000 yuan/month (210 million VND), with an average of about 720,000 yuan per year (2.5 billion VND).

Shura, who is currently the point of contact between parents and applicants, said he took on the job two years ago. He graduated from a top university in Shanghai, China, with a major in International Relations.

Before graduating, Shura worked part-time as a child development coach. His mother, a businesswoman, was too busy to supervise her son's studies, so she asked Shura to live with her, teach him English, and accompany him in extracurricular activities.

Unlike a maid or hourly tutor, Shura said the job would help children have a better life, form positive study habits and develop the right values. "We will provide high-quality companionship in all aspects."

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The profession of accompanying children's development is flourishing in China. Photo: SCMP

Shura further revealed that the people who recruit 'super' tutors are high-income families who spare no expense in their children's education. Currently, candidates introduced by Shura are usually paid from 10,000-20,000 NDT/month (35-70 million VND). Those with experience or a good educational background earn around 60,000 NDT/month (210 million VND).

"The minimum requirements for candidates are to have a preschool education and be good at English. In addition, they should have other skills such as knowing a second foreign language or playing a musical instrument," Shura revealed.

She said most of the candidates in this industry are female. For some single mothers, wanting to provide male companionship for their children, "Out of privacy concerns, these people often rent other apartments for their male friends instead of living in the same house."

A Shanghai-based child development partner, surnamed Wu, said she often gives advice to children and helps them overcome difficulties in their studies. “Saturdays and Sundays are my busiest days. I need to be with the children all day,” Wu told SCMP .

The biggest challenge for this growing business model, Shura said, is that there are no quality standards for companions. "When parents say they are not satisfied with a companion, what I do is replace them immediately. But choosing the right person is not simple."

Teachers who quit their jobs to become millionaire tutors He did not want to reveal the exact number of classes he was teaching. His center had to register for tax when it reached the $1 million revenue mark each year. The classes were full by March next year.