The independent education consultant and founder of leading private tutoring firm, Tutors International, issued a statement today outlining the circumstances surrounding his resignation as a member of The Tutors’ Association (TTA).
Mr Caller was among the first voices in the sector to call for the regulation of private tutoring in the UK and actively supported and contributed towards the formation and launch of The Tutors’ Association in 2013.
TTA’s stated aims are to provide a community for tutors and tutoring companies, reassurance to parents that tutors are committed to reliable standards and quality, and to provide a unified and coherent voice for the industry.
Adam Caller today reaffirmed his commitment to all of these core functions, but also identified some deep-seated disagreements between himself and the organisation, including those surrounding differences in approach to due diligence by some corporate members of TTA, and the lack of action and progress in the development of an official, recognised tutoring qualification that would professionalise a currently poorly regulated industry.
Mr Caller stated: “I have always believed that we, as tutoring providers in the full-time residential or non-residential sector especially, have a duty to protect both children, families and tutors and thereby ensure that as far as possible the highest levels of child protection and educational support are provided. The best way we can do this is by extensive due diligence into both the tutor and the potential client to ensure a favourable match. This protects all parties by ensuring children get the highest standard of professional tutoring, while also protecting the needs of the tutor and the families into which they are being placed.
“Unfortunately it has become clear that TTA would rather attempt to quiet my concerns than to hold its members (including some on its Board) to its own claimed standards.
“A recognised, formal qualification for private tutors is also desperately needed to raise standards of education and protect families. However, progress has been slow and while these remain top priorities for me and Tutors International, it would appear they are lower down on the list for others.
Mr Caller also expressed his disappointment that multiple attempts to contribute to The Tutors’ Association were either not acknowledged, actively spurned, or accepted and then later withdrawn. However, he was keen to stress his continued commitment to the values and function of a professional UK tutoring body and assured clients that Tutors International would continue to operate at the superior standards, already far in excess of the codes of the TTA and, that it is already well known for.
“A governing body for tutors fulfils a vital role in our community and I continue to believe wholeheartedly in the regulation of the tutoring industry so that one day it can justifiably refer to itself as a profession. The industry needs a professional body that is strong and progressive to develop an unregulated industry into a proper profession to give peace of mind and support to tutors and families, and especially children.
“Tutors International’s tutors are selected for their outstanding teaching abilities and qualifications. We have had the pleasure of successfully placing exceptional tutors with families all over the world and our recruitment and selection process is painstaking to ensure the best match for both tutor and family. While Tutors International will no longer be a member of TTA, we will of course continue to welcome applications for our positions from individual TTA members.”
To find out more about the services offered by Tutors International, visit tutors-international.com. For more information about Adam Caller, visit adamcaller.com
