Welcome to the 2015 Newsletter for the New Zealand Tutoring Association.
The tutoring industry in New Zealand has shown steady growth over the years with the numbers of participants offering tutoring services increasing steadily. In recent times various Western governments have made moves to regulate the tutoring industry, particularly when new businesses set up without good business practice in place regarding professionalism of tutors and child safety in particular. Indeed, it was the spectre of government intervention in the New Zealand tutoring industry that led to the formation of the New Zealand Tutoring Association (NZTA), a professional body that would set standards for best practice and become a voice in New Zealand for the industry at large.

The NZTA is very aware of the scale of work needed to raise public awareness of the Association’s existence and work. Advertising in National publications has been done over the past few years, but it is the Association’s members themselves that can do the best work in this regard by raising the awareness amongst their clients of the Association and its aims. This is an important point as the Association enhances the credibility of the Tutoring service on offer, whilst supportive membership helps the NZTA gain traction in the marketplace.

In this regard, a couple of practical ideas may be helpful. Displaying your NZTA certificate clearly in or near your waiting area as well as putting the NZTA Logo sticker on your shopfront windows would be beneficial. Handing out an NZTA information pamphlet with your Assessment and promotional material would also be useful as well as displaying the logo on all newsletters that parents receive would also be good ways to promote the Association. The credibility and value of belonging would progressively improve if all members took some or all of these steps. The potential benefit to all members is worthwhile.

To read more please download or open the PDF

New Zealand Tutoring Association (NZTA) Newsletter
Welcome to the 2012 Newsletter for the New Zealand Tutoring Association. It has been a busy year and membership is slowly increasing. As you know the NZTA has been formed in recognition of the need to unify the tutoring industry nationally. It aims to represent tutors and tutoring organisations, act as a lobby group and raise the standard of tutoring in New Zealand. The NZTA’s aim is to provide the public with the confidence that the tutoring business they are dealing with is a professional and ethical provider.

1. Australian National Tuition Survey Findings
The Australian Tutoring Association (ATA) recently conducted a consumer survey. CEO Mohan Dhall said that “tuition is perceived to be of great benefit to students. Parents value the effect it has on their child’s confidence.”

• The average age at which children are first exposed to tuition is around 10 years old.
• 62.2% of students who take on tuition start tuition before they reach the age of 12 years.
• There is a spike in the use of tuition at ages 10 and 11 years and a second spike during years 10 and 11 (ages 16 and 17 years).
• 56% of surveyed parents spend over $51 per week for tuition
• Significantly, 21% of parents spend over $91 per week on tuition
• The preferred method of tuition is face-to-face and one -to-one (57%)
• Computers are mostly used for Mathematics and English. 54% of those who access free online content do so to access Mathematics programs
• 89% of parents said tuition increased the confidence of their child
• 95% of parents said tuition supported the individual needs of their child
• 83% said that tuition supported the schoolwork given to their child
• 89% of parents agreed that tuition should be tax deductible
• 92.7% said the mainstream education sector should recognise and work with private tutors

He said that “For the first time parents have been directly asked about their views on tuition, and the mainstream education sector should integrate their views into educational planning and policy-making. It is clear that parents want schools to work with private tutors.”

2. Education Gazette
One of the tasks for the NZTA is to educate both the public and school teachers about tutoring in New Zealand. At the last meeting of the board it was decided to advertise once again in the New Zealand Education Gazette, a magazine read by many education professionals throughout New Zealand.

Some teachers have traditionally seen tutoring organisations as an affront to their professionalism and ability to provide the level of education required for all students. Thankfully this perception has disappeared, or at least, reduced. Students now seek tutoring for a range of reasons such as: examination preparation, extension and enrichment work, additional support when in a competitive environment in order to achieve top results and those low achieving students needing extra help in areas they find difficult.

3. National Standards in our Schools
“The National Standards when used in conjunction with effective assessment practices will provide a way of informing students, parents, teachers, schools and the education system on how well things are going and what could be done better to improve learning for all students.”- Ministry of Education ‘National Standards’.
With the introduction of National Standards into primary and intermediate schools now well established, the issue of assessment in schools will continue to be a well discussed topic across a wide forum.
As we are aware schools have always assessed students in all curriculum areas and have used this assessment data to help them in grouping, planning and teaching the required learning outcomes to their students. The results of this assessment data though, has not been compared to a national standard/benchmark, nor has it had to be reported to a central agency (Ministry of Education).
Schools did though, report to the Ministry of Education, the results of the targets they have set in relation to their student learning outcomes but this is all.
There are similarities between the National Standards for Years 1-8 and NCEA for students in Years 11-13. Both have a set of bench marks that students need to reach to reflect their competency at that particular level.
As tuition providers we share a responsibility in helping our students achieve these milestones as they travel along their academic journey.

4. New Zealand Tutoring Association Website
Have you visited the NZTA website recently? You will find a list of all our members and their tutoring company’s contact details as well as links directly to the company’s website. It’s well worth a look to check you are there and to see what NZTA is all about. Potential and current clients can also be directed to the website to check out members’ credibility.

5. Membership Fees
The Board discussed the amount of the membership fee and it was overwhelmingly decided that $125 was a very reasonable fee for what was offered. The Board are committed to promote the NZTA in New Zealand and to do this must have funds available for advertising within the education sector and in the community. All five of the Board positions are voluntary and the meetings run on Saturday afternoons at no cost to members. All NZTA members are invited to attend the AGM in the middle of the year and have a say in how the association promotes itself.

6. Help Us Help You
All members need to make a concerted effort to use the logo in their print advertising and also make explicit reference on their websites. Better still would be to include a link to our website. (www.nztutoring.com)
Overt reference to the NZTA has numerous benefits to members:
• The logo gives assurance to consumers who may be tempted to look up the NZTA and see what membership requires of members. In this way it distinguishes members from non-members.
• The logo makes a public statement of accountability to the market. This is crucial in raising industry standards.
• The use of the logo symbolises pride in the application of the Code of Conduct.
• The logo can be a source of protection and provides members and consumers an industry-based mechanism for the resolution of conflicts.
Using the logo in your promotional material will begin to associate the NZTA with quality tuition.

7. NZTA Logo Stickers and Flyers
This year we are including a sheet of NZTA stickers to all our members. The NZTA logo can be applied to material that you wish the parents to see. The NZTA will also provide “waiting room” flyers that explain to parents what the NZTA is and how that is important when deciding on a tuition provider.

New Zealand Tutoring Association (NZTA) Newsletter

Assessments and reporting systems throughout New Zealand schools have undergone huge change over the last 18 months. With the introduction of National Standards into primary and intermediate schools and more comprehensive reporting systems to parents, we as tuition providers are being approached and asked to close any ‘learning gaps’ identified.  These changes have had a positive impact on the tutoring industry within New Zealand.

The NZTA are keen to have the tuition industry recognised by a wider audience and are excited about the upcoming coupon campaign that will be advertised nationally. Details concerning the coupon campaign, along with other relevant material can be found in this newsletter.

1. Education Gazette

One of the tasks for the NZTA is to educate both the public and school teachers about tutoring in New Zealand. At the AGM of 2010 it was decided to advertise in the New Zealand Education Gazette, a magazine read by many education professionals throughout New Zealand.

Some teachers have traditionally seen tutoring organisations as affront to their professionalism and ability to provide the level of education required for all students. Thankfully this perception has disappeared, or at least, reduced. Students now seek tutoring for a range of reasons such as: examination preparation, extension and enrichment work, additional support when in a competitive environment in order to achieve top results and those low achieving students needing extra help in areas they find difficult.

The amount of feedback received as a consequence of the advertising was difficult to measure. While we recorded increased visits to the NZTA website the article did not have a call to action so it is unclear if it was money well spent.

2. New Zealand Tutoring Association Website

At the end of 2010 the NZTA website was revamped and improved with prominent mention of each tutoring organisation affiliated to the NZTA. Site visits have steadily gone up and on average visitors are spending almost 3 minutes reading material on the site. We will endeavour to continue to improve the site and make it a good source of information for parents seeking tuition services.

3. When Your Child Needs a Tutor

Private tutoring to give kids a helping hand in their schooling is a growing business. However, it’s also an area where parents can be vulnerable to bogus offers and misleading advertising. If you’re considering using a tutor, find out how to get the best service for you and your child.

It’s important to know that the job of a school is to ensure your child’s educational needs are met in line with the curriculum. Teachers in New Zealand schools are university educated and use effective teaching and learning techniques. If you have concerns about your child’s education, you should discuss it with your child’s teacher or principal.

Qualities of a good tutor

Mohan Dhall, chief executive officer of the Australian Tutoring Association, says the right tutor can complement school education when “they instil confidence in the student and work in partnership with schools”.

Mohan says parents “should first think whether their child would benefit from tuition. After all, a well structured home environment may provide the best framework for parents to help children themselves”.

“However, if you have identified an area or areas that could benefit from extra academic attention then you need to be clear about what you want the tuition to achieve.  Parents should also ask how the tuition can work best with the child’s school to achieve the best outcomes for their child. Tutors should be effective communicators, warm and empathetic, and open, honest and accountable, Mohan says. They will be subject matter experts who can break down complex concepts and build understanding through standard teaching processes. Their aim is to help kids build confidence in their skills to help themselves.”

What to ask a potential tutor:

• How long has the tutoring service been in business?
• Does the service belong to a relevant industry association with an enforceable code of conduct?
• Does the tutor have references/testimonials from other parents who have used the service?
• What qualifications and experience do the tutors have?
• What training does the tutor have in the subject area being tutored?
• Is the tutor equipped to give correct support in New Zealand education course requirements?

4. Coupon Campaign

At the last NZTA board meeting we discussed the results of the recent advertorial in the Education Gazette. It was decided that it was difficult to measure the direct effect of an advertorial where there is no input needed by the reader. It was also agreed that advertising that directly benefits our members should be a major focus.  NZTA would like to run a campaign that targets parents directly to educate them about NZTA member’s tuition services and to encourage the public to visit local NZTA members.

We will be running a coupon campaign to encourage parents to take their children to NZTA members for a free assessment. Those parents would then go into a draw to receive a term’s free tuition. This tuition would be funded by the NZTA. We examined options for publishing the campaign and settled on Sunday Star Times as having the best balance between cost and coverage.

FREE ASSESSMENT

Take this voucher to a NZTA approved centre to get a free assessment for your child. You will also go in a draw to win a terms free tuition from your chosen provider.

The time frame for this campaign has not been finalised but we would like to have this done before end of Term 2 to take advantage of Term 3. To get the most out of this initiative for your centre we suggest backing up the NZTA advertising with your own advertising or actions to promote yourself as a NZTA member.

5. NZTA Membership (renewal)

Any business that relies on customers using discretionary spending (as we do) will tell you that the last year has offered some difficult conditions to trade in. Over the last 12 months GST, grocery bills, school fees and utility bills have all increased.

Interestingly our association has not only consolidated its position but continued to strengthen through this period. Continued expansion and strengthening of the NZTA is important for us all. We cannot stress enough how good industry behaviour affects positive government and media feedback. This helps us all. Our product does work; we need to ensure that it is always delivered in an ethical and responsible manner both business wise and educationally.

The NZTA membership renewal is upon us again. We will be sending out invoices in June. Please take a moment of your time and renew

6. Building relationships

The NZTA is currently talking to suppliers of goods and services that may be of use and benefit to our members. We will have more details soon.

7. NZTA AGM

At a recent board meeting it was decided that the AGM and date of renewal should coincide to allow members the opportunity of making their view heard. To encourage more people to attend we will be holding the AGM at 1pm on Saturday 9th of July at St Marks Church, Remuera, Auckland.