Friday the 16th of February, 2024
The Tutors’ Association is aware of a number of various claims and posts from Qualified Tutor Ltd, or individuals working for or with Qualified Tutor, that are either factually inaccurate or potentially misleading. The Tutors’ Association has always been very supportive of a number of initiatives by different organisations and individuals to support tutors and provide valuable services for tutors and tuition businesses across the sector. Nonetheless, we have received some complaints from some individuals about some of the statements made by Qualified Tutor and some of their practices, especially in the last few months.
● The Tutors’ Association (TTA) is the only non-profit, democratic professional body that has been representing the tuition sector since 2013, when TTA was founded and long before Qualified Tutor existed (incorporated on the 5th of February 2020), and which the leadership of Qualified Tutor is well aware of. Claims by Qualified Tutor that they are the only and/or first professional membership body for tutors are factually incorrect and deliberately misleading
● Suggestions or claims by Qualified Tutor (or anyone else) that they are regulating the tuition sector or that tutors need certification in order to practise safely are inaccurate; in the United Kingdom (and in most jurisdictions worldwide), tuition is not a regulated profession and tutors do not have any legal obligation to obtain certification of any kind. Any suggestion that tutors are obliged to obtain certification from Qualified Tutor or anyone else in order to operate safely and legitimately is misleading and untrue. Many tutors deliver safe and effective tuition without any certification or membership of any organisation; often, such tutors have extensive relevant experience and associating with a membership body is entirely voluntary.
● Qualified Tutor is neither associated with nor endorsed by TTA; any similarity in the wording of any communications they have sent out with any communications from TTA is not to be interpreted as a formal association or endorsement.
● There are a variety of qualifications which a tutor might have in order to be regarded as a ‘qualified tutor’, even if a tutor has no link whatsoever with Qualified Tutor Ltd, and tutors are perfectly entitled to refer to themselves as being ‘qualified tutors’ in such circumstances. Qualified Tutor Ltd’s trademark (UK00003566092) does not and cannot restrict the use of the term ‘qualified tutor’ (whether capitalised or not) and is instead only applicable for their logo (which reads “QT Qualified Tutor”).
TTA is aware of several complaints around excessively forceful pressure or sales activities by Qualified Tutor, whether in relation to their courses or to the ‘Certified’ status they offer. If any tutors or tuition businesses have any concerns around the legal and regulatory requirements relating to operating as a tutor or tuition business in the UK or internationally then they are welcome to contact TTA entirely confidentially to seek free advice and guidance on basic legal obligations.