Tuition agency
Encyclopedia
A tuition agency is a commercial organisation which specialises in introducing tutors to student
s requiring help in the academic area. Tuition agencies exist largely due to the problems parents and students face in finding a specialist who can help them with the study of one or more specific subjects.
s (usually parents) are sent a list of names of tutor
s who have pre-registered with the tuition agency and are then left to contact the names on the list to ascertain which tutors are available and then make their own contractual arrangements with the chosen tutors. At the same time, tutors are given the name and contact details of the client and are 'encouraged' to get their call in first.
The agency is remunerated by the tutor adding a fee to the amount they charge the client each lesson and then passing the agency fees back to the agency weekly or monthly as appropriate. The agency is legally obliged to state clearly its fee per lesson (or whatever other fee structure it operates to the client) in writing and at the commencement of lessons. Tutors who do this type of work are traditionally self-employed . There are both full-time and part-time tutors. Part-time tutors usually consist of students who want to earn extra money while they are still schooling, such as undergraduates of universities.
In Singapore, most of the tuition agencies charge tutors fifty per cent of their first month tuition fees as commission.
entails.
From the agency's point of view, there is no longer any requirement to declare the fees charged by the agency (something which can cause friction with clients who do not appreciate the high cost of recruitment, vetting etc) but they are now responsible for employee benefits due to the tutor.
The agency invoices the client either in arrears or in advance(usually half of the tutor's first month salary), the tutor will receive his salary in full for the rest of the months.
In Singapore
, although tutor registration is generally free of charge, tutors will have to pay a percentage of his or her first month's tuition fee to the tuition agency as commission for referring to them students. Tutors will subsequently be paid the full month's tuition fees by their employers according to pre-arranged agreement. This varies from country to country.
Some agencies offer verification of their registered tutors' qualifications and credentials and in fact encourage their registered tutors to upload digital
copies of their certificates
and qualifications. In Singapore, it is customary for home tutors to verify their credentials.
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s requiring help in the academic area. Tuition agencies exist largely due to the problems parents and students face in finding a specialist who can help them with the study of one or more specific subjects.
Introductory Agencies
ClientCustomer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
s (usually parents) are sent a list of names of tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
s who have pre-registered with the tuition agency and are then left to contact the names on the list to ascertain which tutors are available and then make their own contractual arrangements with the chosen tutors. At the same time, tutors are given the name and contact details of the client and are 'encouraged' to get their call in first.
The agency is remunerated by the tutor adding a fee to the amount they charge the client each lesson and then passing the agency fees back to the agency weekly or monthly as appropriate. The agency is legally obliged to state clearly its fee per lesson (or whatever other fee structure it operates to the client) in writing and at the commencement of lessons. Tutors who do this type of work are traditionally self-employed . There are both full-time and part-time tutors. Part-time tutors usually consist of students who want to earn extra money while they are still schooling, such as undergraduates of universities.
In Singapore, most of the tuition agencies charge tutors fifty per cent of their first month tuition fees as commission.
Importance of Tuition Agencies
These are agencies which contract direct with the client to provide a service. The point of contact is between the client and the agency throughout the request and the agency is responsible for actually employing the tutor with all that employmentEmployment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
entails.
From the agency's point of view, there is no longer any requirement to declare the fees charged by the agency (something which can cause friction with clients who do not appreciate the high cost of recruitment, vetting etc) but they are now responsible for employee benefits due to the tutor.
The agency invoices the client either in arrears or in advance(usually half of the tutor's first month salary), the tutor will receive his salary in full for the rest of the months.
In Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, although tutor registration is generally free of charge, tutors will have to pay a percentage of his or her first month's tuition fee to the tuition agency as commission for referring to them students. Tutors will subsequently be paid the full month's tuition fees by their employers according to pre-arranged agreement. This varies from country to country.
Some agencies offer verification of their registered tutors' qualifications and credentials and in fact encourage their registered tutors to upload digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
copies of their certificates
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
and qualifications. In Singapore, it is customary for home tutors to verify their credentials.