ireland

Private Tuition - How Does It Work In Ireland?
By Ciara McGrath
Parents have a natural desire to help their student offspring to reach their full potential, especially at Leaving Cert.

Many parents choose to pay for tuition for their sons and daughters for a range of excellent reasons.

Classes in many schools and colleges are much larger than the ideal. It is very difficult for many students to reach their maximum potential in a class of 20-35. There may be a conflict between an individual students and a teacher, or perhaps help is only needed in a few areas.

Parents have a choice between two types of private tuition, Group Tuition and Individual Tuition.

All the private colleges in the larger towns and cities run grinds classes. The teaching may be good, but you will be paying upwards of 15 euro for an hour in a group of 20-30 students. Nice money for the teacher, especially as most don't tell

the Revenue about it either! These group classes are not the best way to help a student to achieve a top Leaving Cert grade.

Individual Tuition is of much more use than Group Tuition. Your son or daughter will have one to one lessons with a teacher of your choice. Lessons are usually in the tutor's home and last for about one hour. Expect to pay over 20 euro for Individual Tuition

Some subjects, such as Chemistry, Physics, Maths, French and Irish are in high demand and tutors for these subjects are difficult to find in other ways.

A good tutor will be a skilled teacher who can communicate effectively with your son or daughter. He or she will know all the requirements of the Leaving Cert course, and, ideally will be a Department Corrector of those papers. Practice exams should be given to the student closer to the end of the course.