Teachers warned private tuition is illegal

Those offering private tuition in their homes have been warned that the practice is illegal and they could face prosecution.

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SHARJAH // Teachers who offer private tuition in their homes have been warned that the practice is illegal and they could face prosecution. Abdullah Amin, the head of legal affairs at the Sharjah Education Zone, said the problem was widespread in the emirate, especially among private schools, and many teachers were either not aware of the legal repercussions or ignored the law. "Go into any residential area and one will see many paper advertisements pinned on the noticeboards inviting students for tuition with the teacher's number listed there," he said.

Mr Amin said few of those offering tuition were properly trained. Many were university students and others were unemployed people on visit visas. He warned that those who broke the rules would be prosecuted. Licensed teachers who were found guilty could be banned from teaching and people on visit visas would be deported. Hisham Yusuf, whose son goes to school in Sharjah, said he suspected that teachers who offered tuition marked their pupils' work more generously.

Fawzia al Gharib, the head of Sharjah Education Zone, asked parents to report teachers who offered tuition. She also discouraged parents from paying for private tuition outside school. "Even if there is a weakness in the child's learning, there are competent and authorised institutions to do tuition, but not in a teacher's home," she said. ykakande@thenational.ae