Smart Tuition Service Agreement
By using any service offered by Smart Education Consultants (also known as Smart Tuition) and its website (https://smarttuition.sg), you agree to all the following agreements.
These service agreements, also known as
Terms of Service (TOS), are generated to the best interest of all clients (parents, guardians and students),
tutors and Smart Tuition (company and coordinators). These service agreements are subjected to be changed any time without prior notice. If you do not understand any part of the agreements, do clarify and not make any assumption.
General Agreements
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Privacy Policy
Please refer to the Privacy Policy page.
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Tutor's Particulars and Backgrounds
All information, data, text, photographs, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content"), whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, are the sole responsibility of the individual tutor, not Smart Tuition, from which such content originated. Tutors are to fill in all personal information as accurately as possible and not attempt to mislead clients using Smart Tuition's services.
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Declaration of Tutoring Period
If undeclared before the confirmation of tuition, both clients and tutors are known to be prepared to commit the tuition for at least until end of the year or more than 3 months, whichever is longer.
If any party tries to arrange an additional lesson during the first month, both parties have to inform Smart Tuition, otherwise, will be considered as cheating and undercutting Smart Tuition's commission.
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Legalization of Non-Written Contract
At the point of time which the contact details of the clients or tutors are given to either party, Smart Tuition reserves all rights to collect the full commission once the tutors start providing services to the clients. This is regardless of the tuition being cancelled or postponed.
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Smart Tuition's Priority
Smart Tuition has a high demand in recruitment of staffs and thus it may be short of manpower at times, especially during peak periods. Therefore, Smart Tuition practises prioritizing of work and reserves all rights to determine the urgency of tasks and sincerity of clients and tutors. There are many promising and sincere tutors with good faiths and Smart Tuition has to be fair to them. Questions that are already being answered in our FAQ page may not be replied. We are regret if we cannot assist anyone promptly.
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Tutoring Location
The tutors will be teaching at the student's residence unless specified and agreed by both parties (client and tutor).
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Managing of Pets
The owner of the house (tutoring location), whether client or tutor, has to make sure that pets are being kept away from the other party, unless agreed by the visitor. The owner has to also notify Smart Tuition and the other party if there is animal such as dog or cat in the house.
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Commission for Smart Tuition
The term "commission" refers to the amount Smart Tuition levies for a successfully matched tuition assignment.
The first two weeks' tuition fees for the tutors are to be paid to Smart Tuition as commission. Hence after, clients will pay the tuition fees directly to the tutors. If lessons are being cancelled during the first two weeks, commission will be based on the week hereafter.
Smart Tuition practises fairness. For cases of tuition assignments that has three or fewer months' duration, the commission for Smart Tuition may be split equally between the tutors and clients. Smart Tuition's coordinators will make known to both clients and tutors before confirming the tuition, otherwise, the commission will be solely taken from tutors' salary as per normal.
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Tutors Verification
Smart Tuition does the extra hard work of verifying the tutors' softcopy documents so that the clients will not be over-charged by unethical tutors who claim to hold a higher level of qualification in order to demand for higher tuition fees. Smart Tuition reserves all rights to deny any document submitted.
Smart Tuition tries to maintain 99% accuracy in verifying the documents using the staffs' experience and knowledge in photo editing, however, is unable to guarantee that documents, especially from overseas institute or in languages none other than English, are genuine.
Any false document sent by a tutor to Smart Tuition for verification purpose shall be dealt as a scam and will be used as evident against him/her.
Clients have the responsibility to verify the original hardcopy documents (GCE 'O' level and above) during the first tuition lesson as the second level of verification, which also helps both parties to avert further misunderstanding. The tutors are compulsory to bring along the documents during the first lesson, unless being given prior approval by clients.
Clients have the rights to deny the services of the tutors if they are unable to produce the documents, and in such cases, the tutors have to pay Smart Tuition the amount of money equivalent to the tuition fee for the day as commission.
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Actions to be Taken Against Scammers and Black Sheep
The term "scammer" refers to anyone who provides false information or tries to undercut our commission that helps Smart Tuition to sustain its services.
The term "black sheep" refers to anyone who is rude or any tutor who has failed the code of conduct/ethnic.
All details provided by the scammer and black sheep, together with records of interaction, may be reported to other tuition agencies, Singapore Police Force (SPF), Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), Scams Singapore, Ministry of Education Singapore (MOE) or/and any organisation/company related to the scammer and black sheep, according to the seriousness of the offence.
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Payment
Both clients and tutors are not allowed to change the tuition fees or commission in any way for the first month without the knowledge and approval of Smart Tuition.
Clients can pay Smart Tuition in (1) Fund Transfer and (2) Cheque as indicated in the Tuition Fee Payment page.
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Cooperation with other Tuition Agencies
In the event when Smart Tuition is unable to handle any tuition assignment, Smart Tuition will contact other trusted tuition agencies to cooperate or co-broke. Likewise, if other tuition agencies have suitable tutoring jobs for our tutors, we will assist to help our tutors to secure the tutoring jobs.
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Disclaimer
Smart Tuition tries its best to provide clients and tutors with the closest match as stated by both parties. However, we cannot guarantee a 100% satisfying match.
Smart Tuition will not be liable for problems, disputes and unhappiness caused by the tutor or client. However, Smart Tuition may try to mediate whenever possible and reserves all rights to blacklist any party who is at fault.
Smart Tuition reserves all rights to deny or terminate its services to any client or tutor at any point of time without prior notice.
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Copyright
All materials, contents and ideas found in this website are properties of Smart Tuition - nobody has the right to use or borrow them even with modification.
Clients' Concerns
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Tuition Rates
The ranges of tuition rates on our tuition rates page are only for reference purpose. The actual rates differ for each tutor, which can be higher or lower due to different factors. The tuition rate shown on each individual tutor's profile is known to be the minimal rate for the lowest student level based on various factors, and may not be promptly updated.
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Client's Changing/Terminating of Tutors
There is no free trial of lesson - the client has to pay the tuition fees for all attended lessons, at any point of time requested by Smart Tuition. However, at any point of time if the client finds that the tutor is not suitable, the client can inform Smart Tuition to get a replacement.
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Client Who is Younger than 18-year-old
In the event that the client who has requested for a tutor is younger than 18-year-old, he/she must make sure that his/her parent(s) has/have given consent to engage a tutor and is/are willing to assist the client in paying the tuition fee. Smart Tuition also reserves the rights to request to talk to the client's parent.
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Prioritizing of Clients
We will give sincere client who uses our web form or call us up to request for tutors absolute priority. We may not be able to respond to clients who mass email to different tuition agencies to request for tutors, especially those do not provide us with essential details.
Tutors' Concerns
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Tutor's Registration
Registering as a tutor with Smart Tuition is free. However, Smart Tuition reserves all rights to decline any tutor's application to register. A tutor must be 16 years old and above, holds a minimal of GCE 'O' level certificate, and resides in Singapore in order to register.
A tutor who is employed by another company or is a non-resident of Singapore may have to seek the company or official's approval in order to register as a tutor. The tutor who is registering with Smart Tuition must be certain that he or she is eligible to conduct private tuition in Singapore before registering with us.
A tutor who owns or is currently working for a tuition agency business is strictly forbidden to sign up with us.
Every tutor can only sign up an account once; any duplicate account obviously means that the tutor is providing false information in order to get through our system and both accounts will be blacklisted without prior notice.
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Code of Conduct for Tutors
- Be punctual for all lessons.
- Changing of tuition time must be done at least 2 days before actual day, unless due to illness.
- Get updates of school syllabus regularly.
- Be patient with student.
- No physical contact with student at all time.
- If tuition is to be conducted at tutor's place, proper guidance to reach the location has to be given to the student before the first lesson.
- No short-change of lesson, such as using mobile phone during lesson.
- Student's academic results always come first.
- No vulgarity to be used.
- Feedback to keep parents/guardian updated of progress regularly.
All tutors are also required to follow the unspoken basic ethics of home tutors, which may not be listed above. Smart Tuition believes these rules are implanted in all good tutors. An example is a tutor should not go for overseas trips during the student's examination period, unless given prior notice to the parent and student at least a month before that. And obviously if the tutor has planned for overseas trip for around the period of time when the tuition is to be commenced, he/she should not have taken up the tuition assignment.
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Changing/Cancellation of Tuition Assignment by Tutor
In the event of a tutor making changes or not turning up for lesson after accepting the tuition assignment, which results in the client cancelling the tuition, the tutor has to bear the first month commission to be paid to Smart Tuition.
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Termination of Tuition Assignment within First Two Tutoring Weeks
Whether the tuition assignment is terminated by client or tutor, Smart Tuition will commission the tuition fee for all lessons covered. However, depending on the situation, up to half of the tuition fee collected may be given to the tutor; Smart Tuition reserves all rights in deciding whether to give the money to the tutor. Tutor who has violated any agreement found in this page may be blacklisted.
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Termination of Tuition Assignment within First Four Tutoring Weeks
Whether the tuition assignment is terminated by client or tutor, Smart Tuition will still commission first two tutoring weeks of tuition fee.
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Updating of Personal Details and Availability
Tutors have the responsibility to log into their accounts to update their personal details and availabilities by themselves.
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Cancellation of Account
If a registered tutor wants his/her account to be removed, he/she has to log into the account to remove it manually. Anyone who is able to register as a tutor using our system should be smart enough to know how to remove his/her account using the system.
Smart Tuition is not able to restore the account or allow the tutor to register as a tutor again. Smart Tuition goes through every tutor's profile manually after he/she signs up and updates the profile, and therefore, Smart Tuition does not tolerate indecisive tutors who create unnecessary workload.
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Cancellation of Daily Tuition Assignment Updates via Email
Smart Tuition uses external service to provide tutors with free daily tuition assignments updates via email. Tutors have to subscribe for the update separately by themselves.
At any point of time the tutor does not wish to receive any new tuition assignments update, he/she is required to unsubscribe from the service by himself/herself by clicking on the link at the bottom of any of the emails.
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No Response to Blacklisted Tutors
Smart Tuition does not reply to tutors who are being blacklisted, including those who have signed up with inaccurate/hidden information.
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"A good teacher is a master of simplification and an enemy of simplism." - Louis A. Berman