"Baby Tutor," specializing in educating babies from their birth to three years old, is one of the new professions released by China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security. 

And after receiving two months' training, 136 students attended the national "Baby Tutor" qualification test last Saturday in Beijing. Those who pass the test will be the first batch to baby care professionals in the city.

Of the 136 test takers, only one is male. He is Ji Xu from Hebei Province, soon to be the father of twin babies. During the two months of classes, he had to travel for three hours on the train every Saturday from his city of Qinhuangdao to Beijing and back. He says he chose to have the classes because of his own babies.

Some of those on the course used to be kindergarten teachers or housemaids but many have come from jobs with no connection to baby care and some of them even have master degrees. The "Baby Tutors" are of different levels, ranging from ordinary to advanced baby care professionals.

Statistics show that over one hundred thousand babies are born every year in Beijing and 90 percent or more of babies aged between 0 to 3 are taken cared of by parents, other family members or baby sitters. Their way of teaching is often very traditional and limited. Guo Jianguo, the director of the baby tutor test committee says the new profession of baby tutor is being introduced to fill in blanks in the market.

Professional baby care and education training is also emerging in many other cities in China. Insiders believe that qualified baby tutors will be a fairly well-paid group with an average monthly income of 4,000 to 5,000 yuan.

(CRI September 5, 2005)