Winter vacation has started, but perhaps it has become another school season for many children in China, especially in cities.

Unlike typical US or European schoolchildren, their counterparts in urban China are facing increasing pressure in an extremely competitive educational environment.

China's population, growth and, most importantly, urban population density continue to exert massive pressure on parents and children to succeed. This is the biggest reason for the ever-increasing demand for extra classes for Chinese children and adolescents. Additional education and training are often considered key to a Chinese child's economic future, and the demand goes further than English language classes, to music lessons (typically piano or violin) and sports coaching.