The money that Wang Yu makes as an online teacher in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, has triggered an online debate. According to media reports, each of Wang's 2,617 students paid 9 yuan ($1.4) for a one-hour online course, which means he earned 18,842 yuan even after the website took a 20 percent cut as commission from the total revenue.

In seven hours Wang can make what an average teacher takes an entire year to earn. Some other online teachers, too, can earn handsome amounts so long as they get enough students to choose their courses, although others may not be that lucky.

This is not the first time K12 online education, or students from kindergarten to high school getting tuition online, has become a hot topic of discussion in China, as the number of students seeking help online to have their lessons reviewed in pursuit of quality education has been on the rise.