A month ago, Smart Tuition received feedback from an unknown person regarding home tutor in Singapore. The email is as following without any amendment:
just a feedback of tutors nowadays. this recent years compare to my time in the 19xx the modern tutors dont have the real heart to really coach a student and make sure they are motivated in studies and improve. THe tutors now are charging too high with not much experience beside having certificates. Can tell tutors going for their income. Young tutors busy smsing during lessons, an hour tution time also have not patient to wait till it ends than returned calls. Late & MC often
It is indeed true that some tutors are expecting for high tuition fees even though they do not have a lot of tutoring experience, which may sound absurd to some parents. Smart Tuition does have a few of them registered under our tuition agency but they are just the minority.
There are many new tutor-sign-up everyday via our website and we really want to help all the tutors to find suitable tuition assignments; so much for the huge ratio of tutors to students, we do have a limit to what we can offer. We practice a fair system to make sure parents do not overpay or underpay the tutors. Tutors who are marking their tuition rates way above their actual market values will probably not be able to fetch any tuition assignment from our tuition agency. Therefore, I do not see any problem regarding the tuition fees.
In the case of lacking of passion to teach, I do agree that most of the tutors are taking up tutoring jobs mainly as an income and some of them may not enjoy doing it. It is a known fact that tutoring is one of the better part-time jobs in Singapore that can fetch a sustainable income, especially compared to working as a waiter or even in a McDonald’s restaurant. It is also an advantage to student tutors since they can revise on their basics while helping their students.
The problem with tutors lack of professionalism is definitely a hard-to-tackle issue for all tuition agencies since personality is difficult to be judged. A tutor may sound very polite and enthusiastic towards securing a tuition assignment but his after-actions may differ a lot. With the large number of tuition agencies in the Singapore market, unethical tutors tend not to be afraid of being blacklisted since they can easily sign up with another tuition agency.
Smart Tuition is determined to keep black sheep away from our tuition agency.
- we would rather give up the tuition assignment than to recommend a tutor who is obviously lack of passion
- we warn our tutors about our code of ethics
- we judge our tutors through various streams of communications, especially feedback from parents
- we share our blacklist with other tuition agencies so that fewer parents and students get the bad experience
So far, most of the feedback from the parents are positive. Nevertheless, we have to blacklist a few of the tutors. I have reasons to believe more than a quarter of the home tutors in the market are serious in their work. I mean, situation is probably not as bad as the feedback we have received.
We really appreciate the feedback. Do share your thoughts and comments with us.
Alas, I would like to urge all tutors, inclusive those who have not signed up with us, to put in their best in tutoring their students, to earn an income with clear self conscience.
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