They can help with your children's homework, teach them Mandarin, drive them to school and take business calls.

In addition they have been given crash courses in psychology, household decoration, secretarial work, tea culture and fashion design. All can cook Western and Chinese dishes and speak fluent English. Get ready for the super nannies from Shanghai--a new breed of professionally trained domestic helpers who do much more than just cook and clean.

The first batch of 10 nannies or ayis will arrive in Canada this September and they have already been snapped up by Chinese-Canadian employers in Toronto said Shanghai Laibang Household Service general manager Li Rong. Shanghai Laibang Household Service is a housekeeping service provider co-operating with the Academy for Enrichment Studies Canada to send domestic helpers to work for overseas Chinese families.

"Chinese ayis are wanted in Canada because the Philippine domestic helpers, though world famous for their high competence and industry, are sometimes not suitable for Chinese families," Li said. "They can't understand Chinese or cook Chinese food, and know nothing about Chinese traditions." He said these ayis will be required to walk small children to and from school every day, read and play with them at home, and do all the housework including cooking, washing and cleaning.

"The workload will be big," Li said. "They must be very tolerant to endure hardships." To qualify for the positions, applicants must be female, have a high school diploma, be below the age of 38, and speak fluent English. To date, dozens of people have applied for the positions. "They have passed 18 related courses, including driving, psychology, children's education, household decoration, tea culture and fashion design," said Li

"All of them have various certificates for skills like secretarial work, property maintenance, driving and they all have a good standard of English."

Most of the ayis in Shanghai are college graduates from underdeveloped Chinese provinces who moved to the city to work as housekeepers for local families.

They are now seeking greener pastures in Canada. "The payment is really attractive. Young women gain a chance to go abroad, and they can apply for immigration after working there for two years," Li said.

A Chinese domestic helper in Canada will earn a monthly salary of about C$2,000, compared with C$150 in Shanghai.

Every year over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily to help Canadian employers address skill shortages in Canada. Currently about 90% of caregivers in Canada are from the Philippines.