In spite of the ongoing labour dispute between B.C. teachers and the province that cost students weeks at the end of the school year, led to the cancellation of summer school and could delay the scheduled Sept. 2 start, many tutor companies in Vancouver didn’t see an immediate uptick in business.
Brian FitzGerald, owner of Tutor Doctor Vancouver, which offers in-home tutoring, said summer traditionally is a quieter time for his company, and this year was no exception.
He said it is unfortunate more parents didn’t take the opportunity to get a leg up on what could be a shaky start to the school year.
He noted learning doesn’t stop because of a strike. “The really important thing is that there is some consistency of learning.”
FitzGerald said his staff has been reaching out to regular clients to suggest they start tutoring sessions sooner rather than later to ensure kids aren’t too rusty when school gets underway.
“Once school does get started, they are going to have to cram in the same curriculum,” he said.
If the strike continues more than a few days into the new school year, FitzGerald said he expects his 80-plus tutors to get busier as parents of elementary school students in particular begin to worry about their children falling behind.
“Young kids are looking at fundamentals. High school students are looking for marks,” he said.
At Sylvan Learning’s three Vancouver centres, which offer small-group tutoring, there also wasn’t a rush to sign kids up during the summer.
“I do get asked that, but there doesn’t seem to be anything noticeably,” said Barbara Kennedy, executive director of Sylvan Learning, Vancouver.
Kennedy said parents and students should be aware school doesn’t have to be in session for kids to benefit from a little help.
“You tend to associate tutoring with homework support, like if they need some help with social studies, or some project, or math then you hire a tutor. With our approach it is more getting the kids to learn the skills so they have a good foundation, and then they are able to do the work on their own,” she said.
Math and reading tutor company Kumon has seen a slight increase in business over the summer, but Louisa Lee, owner of Kumon on First Avenue said she couldn’t directly attribute the rise to the labour dispute.
“For new parents, new families, there have been some that intended to have their kids in summer school so, because that has been cancelled, they wanted something for their math and for their reading,” she said.
Tips for finding a tutor
Whether a child struggles with a school subject or wants to get a jump on future grades, there are plenty of options in Vancouver.
But help doesn’t come cheap, as a few examples show.
Teachers’ Tutoring Service offers one-on-one tutoring by certified teachers for all grades. Lessons cost $40/hour for in-home tutoring, and $35 for tutoring in the tutor’s home.
Tutor Doctor Vancouver charges just a little bit more, between $43 and $53 per hour, for one-on-one in home tutoring for all grades.
At Tutor Bright, which also offers in-home, one-on-one tutoring for all grade levels, tutors start at $45 per hour.
Little House Tutoring offers tutoring for students from pre-school through to university at two centres on Vancouver’s West side.
Rates run from $55 to $65 per hour. Little House also offers various camps and preschool programs.
Sylvan Learning, which has been in Vancouver for 28 years, charges $60 per hour and $99 for an initial test fee. Sylvan offers small group tutoring at its centres for students from kindergarten to those preparing for college or university.
Of course there are also private tutors, which are often the cheapest, but perhaps least reliable option. The cost for private lessons varies greatly depending on the qualifications of the tutor, but the average is around $25 an hour. A good online resource for finding a private tutor is findatutor.ca, but always check references to be safe — a good rule of thumb when hiring any tutor.
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