This single mom is paying 2 tutors to teach her kids this school year during COVID-19
Tutoring services in Hamilton seeing growing interest from parents who worry about learning during pandemic
Less than a month before schools re-open, parents with a lack of confidence in the province and school boards' approach are hiring local tutors in high volumes and asking for more of their time.
Tiamma Lee is one of them — and she's avoiding schools altogether this September.
She's homeschooling two of her four kids and is hiring two tutors to visit their West Mountain home in Hamilton, Ont., where they'll teach in her living room three days a week.
With a lack of social interaction between kids at school this fall, as well as some students wearing masks and others not, Lee isn't comfortable sending her children to class.
"It's going to be a mentally exhausting environment," she explained.
It's a decision many parents are grappling with. Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board did a survey between June 25 and July 1 with more than 10,000 responses asking families if their kids would return to classrooms. Some 28 per cent said they wouldn't.
One of Lee's children also has Asperger's syndrome which makes learning difficult for him. It was another deal breaker for her. But homeschooling isn't new for her family.
She homeschooled for a year when she wasn't working and had a grad student from McMaster University help her. But being a single mother and supporting four sons has forced her to work and find more outside help.
Lee posted an ad on Kijiji looking for tutors to teach mathematics, English, geography and music. She said her kids were thrilled.
"I have interviews next week. I've received five or so responses so far," Lee explained.
Her plan is to take bits and pieces from the e-learning curriculum and have the tutors teach two of her kids, aged 8 and 12, three days a week.
On days the tutors aren't around, she'll start them off with math exercises in the morning before giving them a break outdoors and returning inside to focus on the four subjects.
She's also willing to shell out up to $800 a month for the tutors.
More families seeking tutoring services
Tutoring services in the Hamilton area told CBC that parents are paying up to $1,000 a month. And many of those parents are also still sending their kids to school.
Sunny Verma, CEO of TutorBright, said he has seen a rise in requests from Dundas, Ancaster, Waterdown, the west end of Hamilton, and neighbourhoods near McMaster University.
"Our peak season started early this year. The last week of July and the first week of August are usually very slow because families are on vacation ... but people are thinking about back to school much earlier this year," he explained.
Normally, parents reach out to a tutor after their child receives a low grade. Now, Verma said, families are reaching out to try and avoid the low marks.
Meggi Chopra, the owner of Oxford Learning in Hamilton, told CBC not only do more parents want tutors, they want more sessions.
"Before, the average was two to three hours a week of tutoring, now we're finding the average is three to five a week," she highlighted.
She added that the demand exposes inequities for low-income families.
"Kids need support whether they get it at school, a tutoring centre, even hanging out with friends. With all of that eliminated now ... absolutely there's a disadvantage for parents who cannot afford it."
WATCH | Inequality concerns as parents consider back-to-school options
For those who can afford tutors, which could cost $300 a month on the low end, Verma said parents should seek them sooner than later due to the "exceptionally abnormal" demand.
"If you called me three weeks ago, I would have said it's slow ... our biggest thought is, 'Will we have enough tutors and what else can we offer students if we don't?' "
He explained that students of all ages are signing up and added that parents want more training on time management among other core skills. Chopra said her demand is skewing younger with an emphasis on reading comprehension and math fundamentals.
'Massive' rise in 'pod tutoring' and online learning
Verma added that one "massive" local trend is the desire for online tutoring.
Oxford Learning has students use screen sharing and Zoom calls to get help in real-time.
At TutorBright, students receiving online tutoring get video or audio support and an interactive whiteboard that the tutor and student can work on at the same time.
Verma said online learning makes it easier for tutors by avoiding the commuting to and from the office. It also allows for shorter, 30 minute sessions.
Another emerging trend is "pod tutoring" — where people hire a tutor for a neighbourhood or a small group of kids, usually fewer than 10.
It's becoming popular in the U.S. and both Chopra and Verma said they are hearing families in the Hamilton area ask about it. Both of them were open to the idea of offering pod tutoring.
"With elementary schools not having a cap on class sizes and some kids not being required to wear a mask, a lot of my parents are concerned and pod learning is something my team has a plan in place for it," Chopra said.
Verma noted pod tutoring has to meet more specific criteria to be successful, namely ensuring kids are in the same grade, with similar problems and similar learning styles. Despite that, he held a free demo in the summer and said the results showed it works.
"A lot of students in Hamilton participated in this too, so if you asked me, 'Would it work?' Yes, it works," he said.
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