Trend Story : Tuition Agencies
Category: Schools and Education
By Amanina Nur’iffah Binte Muhammad Yusman
Mdm Jasmine Khaw, 44, went online, clicked three options and was presented with 30 pages of individuals to choose from.
She is not seeking a partner on an online dating agency nor is she searching for friends on the popular network, Friendster.
She is looking for a personal tutor for her 11-year-old son.
Mdm Khaw is one of the many parents who turned to online tuition agencies to look for a tutor.
Previously, parents had to scan through pages of Classified advertisements, find an agency’s number and call them to find a tutor. The agency then assigns the first available tutor.
At StarTutor.com.sg, a total of 2690 profiles can be viewed on the agency’s database. Only three steps are needed - select the child’s education level, indicate the residential area and specify the preferred gender. The website then narrows down the profile of tutors who fit the requirements.
Similar to Friendster, profile pages are filled in by the individuals. Each profile displays basic information like name, gender and occupation of the tutor. Relevant details such as the tutor’s qualifications and experience are also provided.
“The agency believes in transparency and honesty. We want parents to have more freedom to choose their tutors. Also, an online system adds convenience for the parents,” said Mr Du Wei Chao, 26, the Marketing and Public Relations coordinator for StarTutor.
StarTutor operates solely online. The agency receives about 60 requests for a tutor weekly.
As more tuition agencies compete for online presence, some have come under fire for renting out their database to other companies.
Mr Joey Ng, 21, signed up with ManyTutors.com last November after completing his National Service.
Despite his stellar results in the A Levels, he did not receive any tuition assignments. Instead, he obtained his students through referrals. He currently facilitates tuition groups on weekdays and tutors four individual students on weekends.
Last month, Mr Ng opted out of the agency’s database.
Since then, he has received calls from agents who tried to sell him insurance policies.
“The person claimed he obtained my number through an online database,” said Mr Ng. He does not recall filling in his particulars online except for that of ManyTutors.
A check with other licensed agencies revealed that companies have strict policies regarding the profile of clients and tutors.
“Our company does co-broking with other agencies when parents source for tutors with special requirements. In this case, we split the profit equally with the agency that referred us the tutor,” said Mr Jason Fong, 21, Information Technology (IT) Director of We Care Tuition Agency. The agency went online two years ago.
We Care does not divulge the client’s or tutors’ details to other companies except for their partnered agencies.
Mr Fong advises both parents and tutors to check on an agency’s credibility before dealing with any of them.
“These unlicensed agencies do not ensure the security of your confidential information,” added Mr Fong.
Just four hours after submitting her request, Mdm Khaw received a call from the agency. One of the tutors she short listed was ready to take on the assignment.
It has been 3 months since Mdm Khaw engaged the services of her tutor. She is satisfied with the performance and has recommended the online website to other parents.
However, she says that “finding the right tutor might take a while” as one has to go through multiple pages on the database. |