Private tutoring is an excellent way of helping students struggling in certain subjects improve and get some personal attention. Most parents will often jump at the opportunity of hiring a private tutor for their child, oblivious of the costs and challenges involved.
Because of the physical contact between the student and the tutor, private tutoring often yields better results. However, it doesn’t come cheap. For most parents, the cost of hiring a private tutor is often too high, denying the student a chance to better their grades and improve in their weak areas.
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The cost of hiring the tutor varies depending on various factors, which include:
Expertise and eligibility
Tutoring is like any other profession. Some skills are harder to obtain. The experience and qualification of the tutor have a lot to do with the price you’re going to pay. A first-time home tutor might cost around $45 – $60 per hour. A more qualified English or Maths teacher will charge upwards of $80 for private tutoring.
More qualified tutors like a senior chemistry teacher or a Maths Extension 2 tutor has more training and experience and will command a higher fee. If you’re looking for a specialist, expect to pay more than $150 for the services.
Supply and demand
Depending on your location in Australia, the availability of well-trained tutors varies as well as their fees. In some areas, there are limited private tutors, which means that the price of hiring a tutor will skyrocket because of the lack of competition.
In places like Sydney, you will be spoilt for choice when looking for a tutor. There are numerous teachers and academics in the area. Therefore, the prices are more competitive.
Running costs
Private tutoring means the teacher has to come to your location. The tutor needs to factor in the cost of getting to your location in their rate. Depending on the distance, this could affect the cost of private tutoring significantly.
Group Vs one-on-one
If the tutor is tending to a group, the economics of scale are in your favour. Small group sessions could start as low as $20 per student, making this a budget-friendly alternative.
But, tutoring a group isn’t always the best value option. Some children take more from the personalised approach, which could warrant additional private lessons instead of going all out on group sessions.
Tutoring company vs private arrangement
The last factor that will determine how much private tutoring costs is whether the tutor is part of a tutoring company or a private arrangement.
Hiring a private tutor won’t always save you money. It will depend on the tutor and their rates. Tutoring companies can present you with a host of advantages, and you might even get better value for your money in the long run.
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Most tutoring companies will vet the tutors before hiring them, and each tutor often has numerous testimonials making it easier for you to find the right fit for your child.
Another benefit of going for a tutoring company is if your private tutor cannot make it for a session, the company can make arrangements to send a replacement to prevent lost studying time for the children. Typically, because of these and the business running costs, tutoring companies might charge you more, but the rates are more competitive.
Are there any other alternatives?
Yes, there are alternatives that are more affordable, among them online tutoring. Online tutoring presents the same benefits as private tutoring. The child has the full attention of the tutor for the period of the session. The only difference is, there is no physical contact.
At Alchemy, we have developed a platform that does a great job of compensating for the lack of physical contact. Using our platform, the student can interact with the tutor via video stream, ensuring full responsiveness while minimising costs because the tutor doesn’t have to come to your home.
