3rd October 2011 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The Slate website recently interviewed Richard Eng and Kelly Mok, two of Hong Kong’s ‘celebrity’ tutors. If you know a little about the UK tuition industry then the word ‘celebrity’ might seem like a strange one to put in front of ‘tutor’, but in Hong Kong they’re virtual synonyms for many of the eager students looking to succeed in their university entrance exams.
Eng, 47, makes no excuses for his status as a teen idol. His student’s books are adorned with photos of their tutor in expensive suits, so much so, that you would be forgiven for thinking that they are looking at fashion magazines. It was 1996 when Richard first began to market himself like a celebrity, buying advertising space on billboards and on the sides of buses, he quickly became as famous for his yellow Lamborghini and designer watches as for his tutoring ability. Now he tutors lecture hall sized rooms after school hours, were the students hang on his every word. His tutorials have been described and energetic and flamboyant, but are a world away from the tutoring that we understand in the UK.
Kelly Mok agrees that to be a tutor one needs to ensure that the classes aren’t boring. She sees herself as an entertainer, as well as a teacher, and her focus on image has extended to avoiding wearing the same outfit twice, because she says that her students would notice, and she actively encourages students to regularly visit her Facebook page.
There is a considerable degree of friction between regular school teachers in Hong Kong and their celebrity tutoring counterparts. Teachers receive roughly £40,000 a year, only half of what a fledgling tutor can expect to earn. However, while tutors are pouring the vast sums into advertising that they do; nearly £1m a year for some of the top agencies, students will be captivated by the chance to succeed academically, and meet a real life celebrity in the process.