Parents partly to blame - Many fail to check credentials of tuition agencies and teachers

Parents partly to blame - Many fail to check credentials of tuition agencies and teachers
By Amelia Tan

PARENTS duped by tutors are guilty of not checking credentials, says the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

Case received 19 complaints last year against tuition centres, tutors and education agencies for providing unsatisfactory services and making misleading claims.

Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said the responsibility of ensuring that only credible tuition teachers are hired falls on the parents.
One of the worst cases was highlighted last week when a bogus tutor was jailed two months for recommending an alleged Ministry of Education-approved programme costing $14,000. The woman claimed to be registered with the MOE, although private tutors do not need to be registered with the ministry.

However, a ministry spokesman said private schools which include tuition centres need to be registered with the MOE under the Education Act.

One complaint Case received was from a parent who was impressed by an advertisement from a tuition agency that guaranteed all its teachers were certified.

After hiring a tutor from that agency, the parent discovered that the tutor was not interviewed by the agency, uncertified and was merely assigned the job.

Another consumer hired a tutor who claimed to be trained by the National Institute of Education and MOE.

However after the first session, the tutor was unable to produce her qualifications and she could not even speak English. The agency demanded that the consumer pay for the lesson anyway.

'Most of the cases we received were of parents who assumed the agencies are credible based on their (own) assurances,' said Mr Seah.

'I urge all parents to ask tutors to present their certificates at the first lesson.'

Parents whom The Straits Times interviewed said they hire tutors based on recommendations from friends and family members.

Regional human resource manager Winnie Ong, 38, hired a Chinese tutor for her daughters, aged 10 and 11, three years ago based on recommendations from friends.

'I don't want to hire someone whose background I am unaware of,' she said.

'It gives me peace of mind knowing that my friends have had good experiences with the teacher.'

Homemaker Laura Lim, 43, who hires tutors for her three sons, aged 10 to 17, checks on the tutors through feedback from her sons and monitors their progress regularly.

The principal of North Vista Primary, Mr Phua Kia Wang, said parents should avoid sending their children for tuition.

'Tuition is unnecessary for the majority of students as there are many programmes in schools to help students, be they in English or Maths,' he said.

'I hope that parents realise that tuition places unnecessary stress on children.'

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