Making a career as a home tuition teacher in Singapore

Have you ever wondered what it is like to make a living as a home tuition teacher in Singapore? Giving home tuition in Singapore can be a great way to connect with children and guide them through their studies, while supplementing your income at the same time. Additionally, home tuition in Singapore often offers flexible working hours. If becoming a home tutor in Singapore is something that sounds appealing to you, read on to find out more about how you can embark on this rewarding journey.

What are the different types of home tutors in Singapore?

A number of aspects you should consider when first deciding to become a home tutor are:

–  The subjects you would teach

–  The levels you would teach (Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary or JC)

–  Whether you will be a full-time or part-time tutor

–  Whether you wish to sign on with a tuition centre or be an independent tutor

Most home tuition teachers start off with one or two subjects as their primary focus – this is usually the subject you feel most comfortable teaching. They also centre on a particular age group to teach. It is worth noting that the older your tutees, the more qualifications or track records you may be expected to have. Generally, grades quickly increase in importance and difficulty to achieve as you move up the levels, with many parents looking for a clean A* or A1 from as early as PSLE all the way through JC.

If you are changing jobs to become a home tuition teacher in Singapore, it may be a good idea to start off with part-time tutoring first. This allows you to adjust to the job and be sure that it is something you want to do. You can easily take on tutoring as a side job since each session is usually not longer than 2-3 hours. Part-time tutors are normally paid by the hour or by session, while full-time tutors may be also paid according to similar schemes, or they may have signed a contract with a tuition centre.

Lastly, as a new home tutor, it may be easier for you to get new clients by working at a tuition centre or with a tuition agency, which will help to source prospective clients for you. Independent tutors have the luxury of managing their own income, schedules, locations and clients, but if you do not have many connections yet, your best bet to get started may be with a tuition centre.

What are the requirements to become a home tuition teacher in Singapore?

Aside from experience and reputation, a lot of parents look at a prospective tutor’s educational qualifications. The minimum qualification required to become a home tutor in Singapore is at least an ‘A’-level certificate or a Diploma. A JC experience is usually favoured over polytechnic, since the JC subjects and syllabus are generally more aligned with the content required for school exams. Of course, if you are a degree holder in the field you are tutoring, such as English, Maths or one of the Sciences, you can expect to command a higher pay. The most sought-after tutors are former MOE school teachers.

While an official tutoring certificate is not required to be a home tutor, it certainly helps. You may be interested in pursuing the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from NIE, which will allow you to teach in MOE schools. Adding this certificate to your qualifications will definitely boost your credibility!

How can you gain experience as a home tuition teacher in Singapore?

Experience and testimonials from your past students is your number one advantage as a tuition teacher. The competitive home tuition world can be a daunting one, especially if you have no prior experience with giving home tuition in Singapore. Given that most tuition agencies and parents would want an experienced tutor who is able to deliver results, it can be difficult to find ample opportunities to get some experience in the field. Well, one of the ways to rectify this is to volunteer as a tutor in non-profit organisations. For instance, plenty of childcare centres, churches, and charitable organisations provide tutoring services to less privileged students. It is possible to offer your tutoring services to one of these organisations to get a feel for tutoring students and build up your resume. While you may not get paid much, if at all, doing a few hours of community tutoring a week can really expose you to the different types of students and common techniques to tutoring them.

Alternatively, you may also be able to sign on as an assistant tutor at a tuition centre. Some tuition centres may be looking for assistants to help their tutors, especially for larger class sizes. While you may not be doing the main tutoring, you will be able to observe how an experienced tutor conducts each class and get some opportunities to interact with the students.