How to choose a tutor in India

Finding one

Sources, in rough order of reliability: a recommendation from another parent whose child you know, the school's own suggestion, an established tuition centre, and finally the online marketplaces.

Be specific about what you need. 'Maths for Class 6, place value and fractions, twice a week for two months' gets you a far better match than 'tuition for my son'.

Ask about the tutor's own qualifications, how long they have taught that board and class, and how many students they take at once. A tutor with twenty children in a room is running a class, not tuition.

The questions to ask

How will you find out what my child does not understand? A good tutor assesses before teaching; a poor one starts at chapter one.

What will you do differently from the school? If the answer is 'the same, again, slower', that is sometimes exactly right for a child who needs repetition — and it should be a deliberate choice rather than the only method available.

Will you do the homework with him or make him do it? The correct answer involves the child doing it.

How will you tell me what is happening, and how often? Ask for a short update every few weeks with specifics.

What is the fee, per hour or per month, and what happens with missed classes? Get it clear at the start.

And the one that matters most: what would tell us that tuition is no longer needed? A tutor who cannot answer that is selling a subscription.

Safety, which nobody asks about

Private tuition — one adult, one child, a closed room — is a setting where abuse occurs, and it is the one Indian families scrutinise least.

The rules: tuition happens in a common area of the house rather than a bedroom, with the door open and adults moving around. If it is at the tutor's home or a centre, visit it, and drop in unannounced sometimes.

Verify identity and take references you actually call. For a centre, ask about staff verification.

Teach your child the body-safety rules explicitly and say that they apply to teachers and tutors too — and that they can tell you anything about any adult without getting into trouble. Our body-safety guide has the words.

Watch for: reluctance to attend, a change in mood, gifts or special attention, or a tutor who wants unsupervised time or private messaging with your child. Any of those is a reason to stop immediately and ask questions afterwards.

For online tuition: sessions in a shared room with the screen visible, no private messaging outside the platform, and recording where the platform allows.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How long before I know it is working? — Six to eight weeks. Ask the child whether they understand things better, ask the school teacher whether anything has changed, and look at work rather than only at marks.

Q: The tutor is very strict and my child is scared. — Stop. Fear does not teach, and a child who is frightened of a tutor learns to avoid the subject as well.

Q: Should the tutor be from the same board? — For an exam year, strongly preferable. Boards differ in syllabus sequence and question style.

Q: Is online tuition as good? — For an older, motivated child, often yes, and it is cheaper and safer in one respect. For a younger child who needs supervision and engagement, in person usually works better.