Not too long ago, China was in the news for cracking down on tutoring companies. That makes for a rather odd crackdown and an even stranger headline ... until you know how the situation came to be.
China's education system is ultra-competitive. Students generally get only one shot at higher education: earning high marks on the Gao Kao, their university entrance examination. The better the student's Gao Kao score, the higher-ranked university they are allowed to attend.
And, of course, the more prestigious their alma mater, the brighter their future career prospects.
So aggressive has the academic competition become in China that parents start their kids on a rigorous routine of learning when they're still toddlers. Indeed, the rule is: if the child is potty trained, they qualify for enrolment in preschool.
And the pressure doesn't ease: students often attend supplemental lessons late into the night and all weekend, in a bid to position themselves at the forefront of the university list and, eventually, a better life.
It didn't take long for tutoring companies to cash in on parents' desperation. Learning centres, some homegrown and others imported, were making loads of money, sometimes - often - without the students or families gaining any academic advantage.
Hence, the Chinese government crackdown on tutoring services.
Of course, not all tutoring companies are out to make money at the expense of parents' dreams for their children's academic success. Indeed, some companies want nothing more than to connect students with qualified tutors.
That is Superprof's mission in a nutshell.
Let's now dive deeper into the Superprof philosophy, how we do business and what we can do for students of all ages.
How Superprof Got Their Start
China isn't the only country with a competitive academic system; France also has a pretty demanding one. Children may be enrolled in preschool when they're as young as two years old; they start their formal schooling at age six.
Sixteen years of education is compulsory. By the time they're 15 years old, students should already know which higher/further education path they will choose: technical, professional or standard development.
So, while not quite as competitive as China, students still operate under substantial pressure, both to perform well academically and decide, at such a young age and with no life experience, what their entire future will be.
Because of the intensity and strain of education in France, French parents have been engaging academic support coaches and tutors for their kids for decades.
There were only two problems with that: parents were limited to what/who was available nearby, and the relatively limited field of tutors (and the subjects they taught) meant tutors could (and sometimes did) charge handsomely.
And if those tutors already had a full schedule? The students were out of luck; there would be no academic support or supplemental learning.
All of that changed in 2013, when technology – the internet, video chat applications and webcams – improved to make online lessons possible. Suddenly, local tutors had competition.
If a tutoring company in, say, Bordeaux had a steady stable of clients because they were the only one to provide such services, they now had to compete with tutors from all over the country who could afford to charge lower fees because they didn't have to live in a specific location or travel to students' homes to give lessons online.
That's where Superprof came in.
We established our platform in 2013, to connect students and tutors. And, within one year, we were the largest tutoring community in France – clearly, ours was a much-needed service. And, from there, we just kept going ...
Find out what subjects are available on Superprof for you to learn about.
What You Can Learn With a Superprof
If you've been a student for so long, you know by now that learning is not simply a matter of being exposed to information; education is generally not a case of picking things up by osmosis.
You also have to learn how to use the information you're exposed to, how to put it into the context of everything else you've learned so far – both in and out of school – and, finally, you have to be able to demonstrate your academic skills and regurgitate facts on demand.
In other words, perform well in exams.
Let's say Maths is your nemesis. No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot get the logic of algebra; the methods to solve for X and Y escape you, and you have no patience at all for linear equations.
Your schoolteachers have a lot on their plates. They have all your classmates (and all of the students in their other classes) to deal with, administrative tasks to complete, and they have to see to their continuing personal and professional development.
We like to think of teachers as wise fonts of knowledge, eternally and patiently dispensing information to all who ask but, the truth is, teachers are human, they work under a great deal of pressure and they sometimes (often) just don't have the time to deal with each student's questions.
This is where Superprofs are most beneficial. Your Superprof tutor bridges the gap between the knowledge your teachers dispense and your understanding of it.
Tutors have the time to present academic concepts in new and different ways so that their students can get the best handle on them, cementing that knowledge into a strong foundation for further learning.
On the tutors' part, Superprof allows (former and current) teachers to fully embrace their passion for imparting knowledge by providing a platform to connect mentors with students, one on one.
Getting a Superprof Student Pass
There are several ways for you to discover Superprof. You can find our blog articles through your favourite search engine, get a recommendation from a classmate who knows all about Superprof or you could head directly to our Superprof homepage and pick your ideal tutor from the millions who have registered on our site.
The easiest way for you to narrow your selection down is to enter the subject you want to study and your geographical location. Once you set those filters, you can comb through the list of tutor profiles to find those whose experience and qualifications best match your needs.
Be aware that, once you select a tutor and click on the 'book a lesson' button, you will be required to set up a student account and activate the Student Pass, even if that tutor offers their first lesson free. This registration requirement is no different than if you wanted to use any other platform, including social media sites.
In South Africa, it costs R99 for a one month Student Pass. The Student Pass allows you to message as many tutors as you wish via the Superprof platform. Currently, the Student Pass does not automatically renew. This means that a student using the Superprof South Africa website will make one upfront payment, and will not automatically be charged again when their Student Pass expires after 30 days.
We are not a tutoring company and the tutors on our platform do not work for us, they work for you. They are in business for themselves, so it is in their best interests to help you to the utmost of their ability because, like so much else in the business world, their success depends on their clients.
That's why Superprof tutors ask you to rate their services and give a testimonial to the good service they provided you with.
If you choose to continue taking lessons with a Superprof tutor, you will need to pay the hourly lesson fee that is stated on their advert, but you won't be charged anything else by Superprof. If the tutor is not right for you, you can continue to contact other tutors, for as long as your Student Pass is active.
Find out more about how Superprof payments and charges work here.
How to Get the Most from Superprof
As diligent as you surely are, you will read up on Superprof before paying for a Student Pass. As part of your research, you'll likely call on sites such as Trustpilot to read about past clients' experiences.
Overwhelmingly, Superprof reviews from both tutors and learners are positive, but there's a fair sprinkling of negative ones too. For the most part, students' negative reviews relate to the Student Pass or access fee, with statements that they were unaware that the access fee was separate to the tutor's fee for giving them a lesson.
The terms of service are disclosed on the Superprof site, and specify that students are required to sign up for a Student Pass to be able to enter into contact with Superprof tutors. The validity of the Student Pass, along with the terms under which the student is entitled to a refund are also set out here.
We encourage you and all students to carefully read the terms and conditions of the Superprof platform in order to be fully informed before making a decision.
Now that you've done your research and opted for a Superprof Student Pass, let's reveal how you can get the most for your money.
- You won't lose out; if no tutor accepts your lesson request, you will automatically be refunded.
- While your Student Pass is active, you can contact as many tutors as you wish, in all the subjects that you are interested in or need help in.
- You can find many tutors who offer an upfront session at no cost.
- Look for tutors who respond within 24 hours. If they are available, you'll be able to start planning your lessons straight away, and if they're not available, you'll be able to reach out to a different tutor quickly.
- Seek out tutors who offer a range of instructional delivery methods. Online lessons are often less expensive than face-to-face lessons. Online lessons offer you a greater variety of tutors, too.
- Find out if the tutor offers group lessons. Group lessons are great if you and a few classmates need to prepare for exams. You may even benefit from a lower per-hour rate if you pool your resources.
The best way to find out how Superprof works is to try it out for yourself. Millions of students can't be wrong: find out for yourself how Superprof tutors have helped them succeed at school, on stage, and on the sports field.
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