“Success guaranteed?”

As a Tutor Centre parents often ask us whether we can guarantee that their child/ren will succeed in passing the academic year. Our answer is always an unequivocal NO.
There are a multitude of reasons for this answer, and I will list but a few of the variables we are confronted with:
1) The ability of the child: this is beyond our control. If a child lacks the ability, then all our best efforts will be in vain;
2) The commitment of both the parents and the learner to their studies: without their personal commitment from beginning to the end, failure is a distinct possibility!
3) Discipline discipline discipline! A gifted or a strong but undisciplined learner might find they are overtaken by a less gifted or weaker but highly disciplined learner.
4) Parental involvement in the life – and specifically in the education – of the child is of such a crucial nature, yet most parents miss the boat here. They might be too busy earning a living, or living “the good life”, or keeping up appearances, that a child could fail every term, yet parents only take notice once the child actually fails the Grade. Then it is “panic stations” and all the stops must be pulled out to get the child into the next Grade. Failing a Grade isn’t something which happens overnight – there are warning signs all throughout the year and if they are not heeded, the child will ultimately pay the price at the end of the year.
To summarize: Just as no parent/s can guarantee that their parenting efforts will succeed, so too we can not guarantee that a learner will succeed at our Tutor Centre. Remember that you as the parents are ultimately the responsible persons for the child’s education.