BEIJING, Sept. 26 -- With the National Holiday coming next week, the education sector is seeing a surge in demand for tutors who can take children to play during the seven-day vacation, reported local newspaper Beijing Daily.

    The tutor agency in Beijing Normal University has recently been receiving more than 20 calls a day from parents who want such a tutor for their offspring, according to the newspaper.

    The agency, along with many others in major cities, usually provides tutors for subjects taught in middle schools. The tutors are university students, who give youngsters extra tuition to get them through their exams. This practice has been common but a more recent trend has been emerging in the last couple of years the play tutor.

    The agency at Beijing Normal University said that more than 400 students at the university acted as play tutors during the summer.

    Other tutor agencies in the city have reported similar figures.

    Major competition for jobs coupled with intense parental attention on each child, partly brought about by the one-child policy, has led to many city children having little time to simply play; they invariably have to do something more constructive.

    Some education experts said the surge in demand for play tutors reflects a positive change in the parents' perspective.

    "It signals that the parents' priority now is to cultivate a good personality and social skills instead of merely teaching textbook knowledge. It will help the country's transition from a score-oriented education to an ability-oriented education," Wang Jingying, professor in education with Beijing Education College, was quoted by Beijing Daily as saying.

    Target market

    According to Wang Lanxin, a member of staff with the Way to Success Tutor Agency, demand for a play tutor usually comes from parents whose children are in primary and junior middle schools.

    "These children don't usually have too much homework, so they have more time to play games and visit places," said Wang.

    Parents often choose tutors who they believe are better educated and more eloquent than they themselves are, although some critics say some parents cannot be bothered to spend much time with their children.

    The parents often have very strict criteria for candidates hoping to be play tutors, said Wang.

    "Some parents want outgoing and eloquent university students to influence their introverted children to be more expressive."

    "Some parents want only students from art colleges and music colleges who can teach their children hobbies like singing and drawing," added Wang.

    "Children in this age group are in the critical period in terms of the formation of their personalities. So their parents want them to develop good hobbies and learn more about virtues like confidence, maturity and diligence from tutors through daily communication and play."

    A play tutor can earn a decent 300-400 yuan (US$37-50) each day.

    But not that many university students are qualified to be a play tutor, who needs to be an active and social person, according to some staff at tutor agencies.

    Zhang Liang, a sophomore student at the Beijing Technology University, did not like being a play tutor.

    "Children are different to how we were 10 years ago. They are more critical and ask a lot of questions. Sometimes, I felt exhausted accompanying them and answering questions. It was beyond my capabilities."