$100 AN HOUR

The mathematics hype is spreading so fast that a retired teacher has been offered to teach a class for $100 an hour.

But before you jump into any conclusions, please note that there are 50 in the class. He has proposed $2 per student. That’s pretty cheap under the going market rate today. The school that made the offer is awaiting the approval of the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts.

It is understood that, if the class is given the green light, teaching could begin soon after school hours. If it is held during the school hours in the normal maths class time then it effectively means rehiring of retiring Maths teachers.

Other questions have arisen. Do retired teachers need a special licence to do private tutoring? Would they be subjected to the same tax compliance requirements that all businesses, big or small, are required to fulfill?

One thing is sure. Many parents are prepared to pay extra costs to ensure their children attain numeracy skills that will open doors for higher learning and better qualification. One retired teacher shared an experience from last year. Two parents came to him and sought help. Their child was barely making the 50 per cent pass mark at the beginning. He started a one on one tutoring lesson.

In the external exam, the child scored 86 per cent - to the delight of the parents. The investment has been worth it, they say.

TRANSPARENCY KEY

Private tutoring is not confined to retired teachers only. It is understood that some current maths teachers have also availed themselves to tutor students. Before the civil service reforms, this was a common practice.

Maths teachers would take small groups of students from outside schools and their own schools at the weekend for special tutoring at a fee that was attractive to them. The only concern was dealing with students from their own schools and from their maths class. Would these students get preferential treatment during normal maths classes?

As long as everything is transparent and the teachers are accountable, there should be no worries. The increase in maths interest is a good sign. If education in this country is to keep improving we need to better our numeracy and literacy skills and competency.