Beware of celebrity tutors, the masters of marketing
Amy Lai says whatever their area and level of expertise, star tutors are, above all, salespeople
The strange phenomenon of celebrity tutors in Hong Kong, developed over the past decade or two, has not declined with the recent adoption of the 3-3-4 system of six years in secondary school and four years in university.
In the past, whether students could enter university hinged on their performances in two public exams; now, one diploma exam seals their fate.
Yet, as "tutor kings and queens" continue to dominate billboards, one suspects that this is more than a result of a flawed educational system and that the tutoring centres are not simply responding to market demand but also creating it.
While some tutors are well qualified, knowledgeable and honest, a sizeable number exaggerate their achievements as they guarantee top grades for their clients.
In glamorous ads, female tutors commonly play up their looks by dressing up, with some carefully revealing a bit of their calves in full-body shots, to draw the drooling eyes of coming-of-age students. A male tutor openly belittled school teachers. Many flaunt their new wealth in the media.
Anxious students flock after them for exam tips and predicted questions. Happy students come back crying, "I owe my 5*/5** to the King/Queen!"