‘Vulnerable’ communities spend big on private tuition. Can more be done to protect them?

Key Points
  • Parents from immigrant communities invest thousands of dollars each year in private tutoring for their children.
  • Some parents say they have difficulty finding good teachers and feel that schools should help them with this.
  • According to the Australian Tutoring Association, there are an estimated 80,000 tutors and more than 5,000 tutoring companies across the country.
Shiny Mehta, a Melbourne mother, says all three of her school-age children receive private tutoring because she lacks the time and expertise to tutor them herself.
“It’s crucial for their future and we want them to succeed here. If this helps them get good grades, there’s nothing wrong with that,” she told SBS Hindi.

“I want my child to achieve a high ATAR or pass selective school exams, so this kind of guidance is essential.”

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Shiny Mehta with her three children. Credit: Delivered

In Australia, private tutoring services are mushrooming, largely due to demand from Asian migrant communities, particularly China and India.

But a lack of regulation has raised concerns about teacher accountability, learning inequality and the impact on children’s mental health.

‘An investment in their future’

Mehta acknowledged that providing her children with additional hours of education was a challenge.
“Not only is it a burden on the children, but it also adds additional stress to the parents, both financially and in terms of arranging the responsibilities of picking up and dropping off the children,” she said.
“It’s a challenge… especially with the rising cost of living, but we do it because education is a top priority for us.”

Reet Phulwani, a mother of three who also takes private lessons, had similar ideas.

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“Tutoring has always been a part of my home life [in India]“We continue that approach here so that our kids can do well academically,” she said.

“As a business woman, it is easier for us to get things done by hiring private tutors to help my children with their schoolwork and homework.

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“It is an additional annual expense, over $5,000 for two children, on top of their tuition premiums. But we see it as an investment in their future.”

Private lessons and ‘vulnerable’ communities

According to Mohan Dhall, CEO of the foundation, the emphasis on academic success among Indian Australians has always been particularly strong. the umbrella organisation for tutoring companies across Australia.
“Love for education is a common denominator that runs like a sutra (common thread) through all Indian families… the appreciation of intellectual development and academic skills has a vast and long history,” Dhall said.

“This is evident from the number of Indian academics excelling globally in various fields including physics, IT, chemistry, mathematics, general sciences and business,” he added.

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Mohan Dhall, CEO of the Australian Tutoring Association. Credit: Delivered

“Research shows that around one in seven children in the UK hire a private tutor, but this figure is much higher in communities in India, China and South Korea, where one in three to four children has a private tutor,” Dhall said, adding that he expected a similar pattern to emerge in Australia.

He added that the value the Indian community places on academia also makes it a “vulnerable community in a country where commercial realities undermine accountability”.

Dhall urged parents to clearly understand what to expect from tutoring services and to hold tutors accountable for the promises they make.

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Experts urge parents to clearly understand what to expect from tutoring services and to hold tutors accountable for the promises they make. Credit: Deepak Sethi/Getty Images

“Many vulnerable parents, who may not have advanced training or financial resources, often feel that the tutoring industry provides limited information about progress, learning or the specific methods used to help them,” he noted.

The struggle to find the right tutor

Phulwani and Mehta both recall feeling unsure when looking for a tutor and relying on recommendations from friends and family.

“It is a challenge to find the right teacher for your child, so I hope schools can get involved in this and the government can regulate the sector so that both parents and children benefit,” said Phulwani.

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Many parents from immigrant communities, such as the Indian, Chinese and South Korean communities, hire tutors for their school-going children. Credit: DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE

Mehta added: “I have spoken to other parents and found tutors for my children. While there are private tutoring options like Kumon available, they don’t work for every child.”

Dhall stressed that responsible parents need to understand their child’s needs, but responsible teachers also need to be transparent about whether tutoring is necessary and whether it adds additional stress to the child.

There are many things that need to be done to make private lessons more responsible and safe. All teachers need to be accountable for what they say they are qualified and experienced to do, and for the services they claim to provide.

Mohan Dhall, CEO of the Australian Tutoring Association

“There are many promises made, but parents do not understand their commercial rights. They do not exercise their commercial rights when unqualified teachers take their money but do not provide appropriate services.”

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According to Mohan Dhall, CEO of the Australian Tutor Association, there are about 80,000 tutors nationwide and about 5,000 companies involved in academic coaching or tutoring. Credit: SDI Productions/Getty Images

“Each of these problems could be addressed with a licensing framework that would be relatively simple to implement and relatively inexpensive,” he said.

Size of the private tutoring sector in Australia

The Australian private tutoring market can be quantified by revenue, number of tutors and number of companies involved.
“This market value ranges between approximately $750 million and $1.3 billion… If coaching such as UCAT coaching, SAT preparation and other forms of exam preparation, including in the English language sector, [is counted] “Then the amount could be even higher,” said Dhall.
He explained that there are about 80,000 teachers nationwide and about 5,000 companies that provide academic coaching or tutoring.
“This figure does not include the informal sector, where individuals provide individual tutoring for an income that is not reported,” Dhall said.
“The Commonwealth Government’s jobs outlook previously indicated that the sector would grow by 30 per cent over the next 10 years. There is currently no evidence to suggest otherwise, making it a fast-growing industry.”
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