Education

Tutors on call The best home tutors to keep your kids learning while schools are closed. By Rik Glauert

ITS Education Asia ITS is ready to dispatch a tutor to your home to help with any academic subject or level of study. From primary school homework to adult learning, the tuition centre is happy to adjust to your schedule and preference for lesson content and formats. 4/F, BOC Group Life Assurance Tower, 134-136 Des Voeux Road, Central. itseducation.asia

Bespoke Tuition This international tuition company promises to be more than an introductory service to its army of British tutors. Bespoke Tuition fosters long-term relationships between families and tutors to help your kids achieve their academic goals and also become confident, motivated and independent thinkers. For more information, call 6219 4047 or email emma@bespoketuition.com. bespoketuition.com

British Tutors As the name suggests these teaching professionals hailing from the UK, focus on the study of English language and literature, from phonics to Shakespeare. They also cover a range of other subjects, delivered in that charming British accent. 1025, 10/F Central Building, 1-3 Pedder Street, Central. britishtutors.com

Arch Education Arch Education is focused on getting your child into the best schools and universities in the world. It covers academic tutoring, exam skills and preparing applications. What’s more, the company boasts an impressive 94% success rate in getting their tutees into Ivy League schools and the top 20 colleges in the US. 2/F & 4/F Wilson House, 19-27 Wyndham Street, Central. arch-education.com

Hong Kong Institute of Languages Brush up your kids’ linguistic skills with a tutor from the Hong Kong Institute of Languages. The school boasts native-language professional tutors offering sessions in English, French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese. 6/F, Wellington Plaza, 56-58 Wellington Street, Central. hklanguages.com

Elite Kids Elite Kids believes finding the right tutor is key to developing your child’s English language skills. What’s more, the tuition centre has developed their own programs and practice books to not only teach your children, but also inspire them. elite-kids-hk.com

TUTOROO This international online service is a marketplace of qualified tutors from across the world which makes it particularly great for learning languages. The site is burgeoning in popularity in Hong Kong as it allows you to search based on your child’s level and interest, location and most convenient time slots. tutoroo.co

My Private Tutor Founded in 2015, this tutoring marketplace has helped more than 50,000 students find a face-to-face or online tutor based on their individual learning needs. They work with tutors that are knowledgeable across a wide range of subjects from mathematics and accounting to English, French and more. myprivatetutor.hk

EDUCATION Learning online

Jenny McGowan gives the ins and outs of online tutoring

Beside finding private home tutors, online learning is another popular option for students to keep up with their study progress during school closure. Below are some things that parents should think about when considering an online education for their children. The pros

The right experience The major advantage with this method of teaching is being able to find a tutor that has the experience, training and track record you require, but who might not be available locally. This is pertinent in Hong Kong if your child is following an international curriculum at school or is preparing for UK/US admissions tests for school or university. You do not need to be limited by the face-to-face options where you live and instead you can source a highly suitable tutor who fits your requirements. Arguably, the individual tutor who works with your child is more important than whether the lesson is face-to-face or online.

Time zones The time difference can play to the student’s advantage too; evening in Hong Kong is morning in the UK and US, a time when tutors are more likely to be available while students in their own countries are at school. Additionally, tutorials can usually continue regardless of the student or tutor’s location during the holidays, allowing for a long-term relationship to be formed.

The comfort of home Many students prefer to have tutorials in their own home environment, saving the time and hassle of travelling between lessons. Once the lesson has finished they are already home and can complete any follow up work or have dinner without losing any time to travel.

Keeping track Another benefit is that many online platforms allow for effective information transfer and act as an online record of what has been covered, reducing the need for paper notes that are prone to being misplaced. The platform can also be used in-between lessons in order to share homework or for revision purposes. The cons

Technophobia The primary concern I hear from parents is that their child will struggle with the technology and navigating the online platform, which parents worry will distract from the learning during the tutorial. However, today’s school children have grown up surrounded by technology and usually pick up the skills needed very quickly. Experienced online tutors will be able to familiarise students with the software and adjust their lessons taking any difficulties into account. For younger children who either find typing difficult or find that it slows down the lessons, they can continue to handwrite on paper and simply hold it up to the camera for the tutor to read.

Human interaction Another concern about online tutoring is whether the relationship between tutor and student will be as strong. By distance, of course the relationship is more abstract, however this can have a positive effect on students who may feel intimidated to ask what they worry are ‘silly’ questions in person. Having been an online tutor for many years, I found I knew my online students as well, if not better, than my face-to-face ones. For students who might struggle to engage, good online tutors will have techniques up their sleeves including sharing their screens and using videos or online quizzes to retain the attention of students.

Wifi woes Technology issues might be another concern and yes, there is always the chance that the Wi-Fi misbehaves and this cannot be avoided. However, again a good online tutor will have a protocol for this and will have made it clear before lessons started what happens in these events. On one occasion when there was a power cut, I used my mobile data to teach an online lesson! Ultimately these issues are out of anyone’s control but as technology improves they should decrease.

Questions parents should be asking

When choosing an online tutor the same rules apply as if you were hiring a face-to-face tutor. You definitely should not be compromising on the quality of the tutor, if anything you should have higher expectations as you have greater choice. As you are unlikely to meet them in person, it is important you ask the right questions before committing to tutorials.

As a parent, these are some questions to put to the tutoring agency: • How was this tutor selected or screened? • Have you met them in person? • Have their qualifications been checked?

And these are some questions for the tutor - • What is your online experience? Have you had any relevant online training? • What is your plan over the weeks and months ahead? Will you be available throughout? • How will you be monitoring my child’s progress? How will you be reporting this? • Can I see a copy of your criminal conviction certificate?

Jenny McGowan is Director of Keystone Tutors, Asia in Hong Kong. She has a PhD in Education and an MSc in Child Development and Education, both from the University of Oxford. Keystone Tutors recruits all of their tutors in person in the UK, while their online students are based in over 50 countries around the world.