SA tutors: How to find a good tutor for your child and what questions to ask

Australia’s tutoring industry has been described as the ‘Wild West’, with some parents forking out up to $200 an hour. See the full list of SA tutors who have been checked and recommended.

Exclusive: Private tutors should be licensed or submit themselves to an “Uber-style” rating system as the industry grapples with an influx of Chinese and Indian overseas online companies raising new concerns about quality and safety.

Experts are calling for the radical overhaul of the $1 billion industry, where some tutors are charging unsuspecting parents up to $200 an hour.

Some tutors have no relevant qualifications.

Australian Tutoring Association (ATA) CEO Mohan Dhall said there are an estimated 80,000 tutors in Australia, but only around 470 are registered with the ATA.

The ATA ensures members have a working with children certificate, and an ABN associated with tutoring to ensure they are paying taxes and grade them on their qualifications.

The Centre for Independent Studies research fellow Glenn Fahey said an “Uber-style” rating system should be set up by the industry to help parents choose a suitable tutor.

“Parents value tutors because they quite often pay high out of pocket fees,” Mr Fahey said.

“We have become accustomed to user ratings, for services like Uber. It could be what users need, not more bureaucracy.”

It comes as an exclusive Australian study found coaching does not help students become “more academically capable”.

Despite the hefty price parents are being charged, Mr Dhall said his research by the ATA found coaching did not help those who needed it the most.

See a list of tutors whose qualifications are approved and have undergone safety and tax checks below:

Education expert Glenn Fahey.

“Students who come to coaching as academically capable and self-motivated remain so, whereas those who struggle academically are apparently not given opportunities relevant to how they learn to overcome their struggles,” Mr Dhall said.

“If the indications here are borne out in subsequent studies, then the shadow education market has serious questions to answer.”

He said his analysis of a group of Sydney tutors, comes on top of concerns around an influx of foreign online tutors, especially from China, following the Chinese Communist Party’s shut down of the local industry in 2021.

He said overseas tutors tend to target migrant communities thorough platforms such as WeChat.

Mr Dhall said some migrant parents want foreign tutors, especially for teaching languages, but is concerned others are being duped into thinking their tutor is based in Australia and has proper knowledge of the curriculum.

“The boundaries have gone,” Mr Dhall said.

Mohan Dhall CEO of ATA in his office at Croydon, Sydney. Picture: Brett Costello

“If there is a Facebook ad and they have a secure payment page, we can’t stop them.”

He said the biggest issue for parents is choosing a tutor, knowing whether they are qualified and are safe to work with kids.

He said online grooming is an issue and parents should insist lessons are held in a communal space in the home and that they be allowed access to a recording of the lesson and any written communication between the tutor and student.

Mr Dhall, who has been calling for tutors to be licensed for more than a decade, said other issues in the industry include tax evasion and a lack of transparency around whether businesses running onsite classes are hosting them in buildings appropriately zoned for educational purposes.

Mr Dhall said members are also graded pending, bronze, silver or gold, depending on their qualifications.

He said for some businesses, tutoring is just a “commercial rort”.

Pictured with students (L-R) Tian Hu, Mia Hu, Anthony Chang, Kenneth Liu, Jerrel Yan, Eva Teng and Chloe Ma, is Tim Ricketts who is a tutor and runs his business, Mr Tims Tutoring in Beecroft. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Former teacher Tim Ricketts, who is behind the successful Mr Tim’s Classroom in Sydney, agreed the industry is like the “wild, Wild West”.

He said parents are fuelling the industry, keen to make sure their kids are keeping up or able to get into selective schools.

Mr Ricketts, who has a six month waiting list, has a maximum of 10 students in a class, but other businesses take up to 40.

He said he makes his classes engaging and spends a lot of time marking work thoroughly and giving feedback, which a lot of teachers don’t have time to do.

“I try to build the children up and help with their confidence,” Mr Ricketts said.

“I want them to leave my centre with a smile on their face.”

The Federal Government has no plans to reform the industry at the moment.

Minister for Education, Jason Clare said “parents should exercise judgment and due diligence when considering employing a tutor”.

Key questions to ask tutors:

■ Have you been screened for child protection purposes? Can I see your paperwork?

■ Could you tell me what your qualifications and experience are, that are relevant to the area I am seeking tutoring in?

■ Do you have a university qualification in the field of education?

■ What is your awareness of the requirements of the Board of Studies in this state/territory?

■ How long have you been tutoring/teaching this subject for?

■ Do you have satisfied clients that I can call and ask about your tutoring?

■ Do you follow a set program of study or curriculums?

■ Will there be additional out of hours work expected of my child?

■ How often will I get verbal/written progress reports?

■ If my child is not meeting your expectations how will I know?

■ Will I be given a receipt for any payments I make?

■ If my child cannot or does not want to continue tutoring will there be any cancellation fee or other charge applied?

Source: Australian Tutoring Association

Originally published as SA tutors: How to find a good tutor for your child and what questions to ask