Uncredited tutors trying to capitalise on stressed parents
Hundreds of unaccredited tutors are trying to take advantage of parents stressed over their children’s VCE studies, with one tactic employed by the dodgy operators slammed as “illegal”.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An explosion of unaccredited tutors is trying to capitalising on parents’ anxiety over their VCE childrens’ studies.
More than 200 unchecked tutoring businesses have popped up in Victoria, the tutoring peak body has estimated, as parents receive unsolicited offers on social media to teach their kids.
Australian Tutoring Association chief executive Mohan Dhall said parents working in hospitals had even sought advice from DHHS after tutors told them they were permitted to come into their home to teach their kids.
“Nurses themselves had been approached, ‘if you have children we can offer tutoring’,” he said.
“As an industry we are saying this is completely unacceptable.”
Mr Dhall said no parent should be allowing a tutor into their home.
“That is illegal,” he said.
“People don’t know tutors are not essential, they can only go through online.
“Parents are getting caught in the middle of this really bad behaviour.”
His peak body had registered between 30 and 40 new Victorian members during COVID-19 lockdowns — they had to pass the ATA’s accreditation or be teacher trained.
Their tutors’ workload dipped by 60 per cent when the first wave hit in March and April, but has now stabilised as some providers moved to online.
But Mr Dhall said there had been a boom of about nine times that number of non-accredited tutors joining the Victorian market.
“They’re finding ways to connect with parents, they’re prepared to flaunt the rules, they’re going for cheap and making themselves available to go into homes,” Mr Dhall said.
“There could potentially be super spreaders going from home to home and it could have disastrous consequences.”
He said the vulnerability of families “should not be leveraged by self interested parties who are not thinking about those parents, their kids and their grandparents”.
Former principal and education consultant Peter Hutton said the shift back to remote learning for VCE had heightened inequities between pupils.
Mr Hutton — a vocal proponent for axing the ATAR —. said well off families were expected to turn to tutoring while more students were opting for an unscored VCE.
Stress has been cited as a reason for five Year 12 students at one school from opting out of the ATAR rat race, Mr Hutton said.
He said the shift back to remote learning for VCE pupils this week had heightened inequities between pupils, including with those who had the financial means to access tutoring.
Mr Hutton raised concerns of students working from home and completing assessed coursework that contributed to their end of year results.
“The moderation, which is the validation or the authentication, will be difficult and kids could be getting tutors or anyone else to do their work,” Mr Hutton said.
@ashargooon
READ MORE:
BIZARRE DOUBLE STANDARD FOR SCHOOLS, CHILDCARE