Last updated: · 6 min read
10 Questions to Ask Any Tuition Centre Before You Pay
Before paying any tuition centre, ask ten questions: who teaches, how many children per teacher, how the child's starting level is found, how progress is measured and shown, what happens when homework is not finished, how and when parents get feedback, whether there is a free trial, and what the child does when they get stuck. A good centre answers all ten without hesitation. DuoDuo Kidz Academy publishes its answers so parents can compare.
Questions about who teaches
Start with the person who will actually sit with your child. Marketing describes the founder; your child gets the teacher on duty.
- 1. How many children does one teacher handle at a time?
- 2. Will my child have the same teacher each week?
- 3. What training does a new teacher receive before teaching my child?
Questions about level and progress
The second group of questions tells you whether the centre teaches the child or the syllabus. Any centre can say “we track progress”; ask to see what that looks like.
- 4. How do you find out my child's real starting level?
- 5. What do you do if my child is two years below the school syllabus?
- 6. Can I see a sample of how progress is recorded and shown to parents?
Questions about homework and feedback
For after-school care, the homework policy and the feedback rhythm decide whether you will be relaxed or anxious at 8pm every night.
- 7. What happens when homework is not finished, and when will I know?
- 8. How and how often do parents hear from the teacher?
- 9. What does my child do when they are stuck: told the answer, or guided to it?
- 10. Is there a free trial, and what does it include?
How DuoDuo answers these questions
DuoDuo Kidz Academy's answers are simple. One teacher to one child in every lesson. Each child has a personal progress chart (个人专属进度表), and word-recognition progress is shown in live tests in front of parents. Teachers teach at the child's level rather than the syllabus level, and guide with questions rather than giving answers.
On homework: teachers check and guide, and if work is unfinished the parent is informed the same day with the reason. Full training is provided for every teacher in the DuoDuo method. The free trial is one 60-minute, single-language, 1-to-1 lesson with no payment.
Answers that should make you pause
Be cautious if a centre promises fixed results by a fixed date, cannot show you how progress is recorded, or describes homework as “always completed” without explaining how. Also pause if the person answering your questions will not be the person teaching your child and cannot introduce them.
The easiest way to test the answers is to watch a lesson. WhatsApp DuoDuo Kidz Academy at 011-2828 8676 to book a free trial at one of the 6 branches and ask all ten questions in person.
FAQ
Should I ask about fees first?
Ask about teaching first. Fees only mean something once you know what one hour actually contains: how many children, what level, and what you get told afterwards.
Is a free trial a reliable test of a centre?
It is the best single test, as long as the trial teacher is a regular teacher and the lesson is at your child's real level. Ask both questions when you book.
Give your child the most precious gift: the ability to learn on their own.
Book a free 60-minute 1-to-1 trial class in a single language subject. You'll see your child's true starting point — and exactly how we'll move forward. No payment, no obligation.