15th November 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A new book has been released with advice for head teachers on dealing with pushy parents. The book, called ‘Heads Up’, contains information on how to tackle parents who are constantly protesting student’s grades, classes, and even those who regularly threaten legal action. Gone are the days when the worst schools got were the occasional unscheduled visit from concerned parents. Now head teachers, especially those of prestigious schools, live with the threat of harassment and legal complaints on a weekly basis. This has been attributed to the country’s new super-rich, who attempt to advance their children’s prospects by any means necessary. ‘Heads Up’ is full of useful advice for head teachers, but can this advice also work for the private tutors employed by the same cohort?
Private tutors to the wealthy are used to dealing with a wide range of demands, and many accept that their high fees are justified in part by the fact that they will have to go above and beyond for difficult clients. Some parents insist that tutors are available at the drop of a hat, and others require their tutors to tutor their children and no other. If tutors attempt to take on other students, some are threatened with legal action, by parents claiming that their premium fee buys not only the tutoring, but the security in knowing that the tutors’ methods will be beneficial to none but their own children for the period of employment. Many parents will ask tutors for guaranteed results, and some tutors bow to this by claiming that they can help their students achieve A or A* grades. Those who advertised guaranteed results can be sued if their students do not perform. Some parents put pressure on tutors to write coursework for their children, more concerned with getting their children the top grades than ensuring they get a good education.
The book for head teachers advises those heading selective schools to weed out parents who will cause problems early on, by making interviews with parents part of the application process. This is an option that is also available to tutors. Those who make a career out of tutoring the wealthy can ascertain much from an initial meeting with parents, and sometimes forget that they can turn down a job as well as the other way round. When wondering about the money they will lose by not taking the job, they should remind themselves of the likely grief that they have saved themselves, not to mention the damage that hot-housing at any cost will do their students.