Unlike typical US or European school children, Chinese children are subject to increasing pressure in an increasingly competitive educational environment. China's population size, growth and, most importantly, urban population density, continue to create huge pressure on parents and children to succeed. This is the biggest reason behind a surge in demand for extra classes for Chinese children. Additional education and training is often considered key to a Chinese child's future, yet demand goes much further than English language classes with demand also soaring for music lessons, typically piano or violin, as well as all sorts of sports coaching.

Chinese parents are extremely keen to do all they can to give their children more opportunities in life. This includes the best and most comprehensive education and training possible.

Across Europe and the US, many parents will choose to send their children for extra classes either at the weekend or in the evening. But UK parents, for example, largely regard extra classes as more of a hobby which they think helps children relax and recharge their batteries. This is the key difference between most European and US parents, and the vast majority of urban Chinese parents.

Chinese parents undoubtedly want the very best for their offspring and make monumental sacrifices to this end, but such is the intensity of competition across China's urban environment and the desire to "gain face" that the quantity of classes often supersedes quality.

Sadly, across these mushrooming privately-run education and training establishments, quality standards vary substantially with many poorly resourced and badly managed training providers rushing to exploit this lucrative market opportunity across urban China.

The Chinese government should embark on a major training initiative in order to better equip the entire education and training industry. For example, privately-run English language firms often employ "trainers" with no teaching or training qualifications or experience. 

It is only the Chinese government, or branches of government, that can enforce better standards and ensure that the Chinese public receive the value-for-money training provision they so richly deserve.

Mike Bastin, a visiting academic at Tsinghua University and a researcher at Nottingham University's School of Contemporary Chinese Studies