(The screenshot of the oral English class Photo/Yangtse Evening Post)

Some online education programs in China are being criticized for using foreign teachers with strong accents for oral English classes, according to the China National Radio.

Ms. Wang, from central China's Henan province, said she signed up her son for English classes on the website 51talk, an online English school, only to discover that the foreigner teacher had a weird accent. “I spent a lot of money on their classes so that my son could practice his conversational English with a native speaker,” Wang said. “I’m angry they arranged a Southeast Asian who speaks English with strong accents for my son.”

University student Wu spent 3,000 yuan (about $450) on personal English tutoring only to have a similar problem. “I requested a different teacher, but she didn’t speak good English either,” Wu said. She added detailed information about the teachers and their qualifications are rarely offered to customers.

According to reports, the number of online education students is expected to increase by about 20 percent compared to last year, reaching 23.4 million. The huge market potential has companies scrambling to find suitable English tutors.

Insiders say more checks are needed for programs as well as teachers. Schools are expected to ensure the quality of their education and customers are encouraged to learn more about their programs.