Training in subjects that are most in demand
The following data were collected from a Toronto-based training academy during the 2005/2006 school year and provide a summary of 169 students and the subjects they were taught. These data provide a good summary of the relative demand for education in various subjects in a large North American city. While this is not a completely representative sample and that demand for different subjects may vary by city, it does provide information that can be useful in determining what subjects and grades to offer.
Students:
The split between male and female students is almost even, with 49% male and 51% female. Students are spread across grade levels, with 25% in K-6, 15% in grades 7-8, 57% in grades 9-12, and less than 3% in college/university.
Subjects:
Below is a list of the most popular subjects of study and their relative frequency among this group.
Mathematics… 77 students (45.6%)
English… 37 students (21.9%)
Mathematics and English… 27 students (16.0%)
Mathematics and Science… 18 students (10.7%)
Science… 7 students (4.1%)
French… 3 students (1.8%)
Results:
Maths is the most popular subject, with 45.6% of students needing tutoring in maths only and another 26.7% needing tutoring in maths and another subject.
English comes second, with almost 30% needing English lessons and another 16% needing maths and English lessons.
Science is a distant third, with only 4.1% needing only science lessons and another 10.7% needing both math and science lessons.
Demand for French lessons is almost negligible, with less than 2% needing lessons in this subject.
What is the meaning of this data?
This data can provide a useful example of the relative demand for subjects of study in a typical small/medium sized North American training academy. Anyone considering starting a tutoring academy should research the demand for subjects as well as the class level of tutoring students for the market in question. You should carefully consider this information before deciding what subjects and grade levels to offer with your tutoring service so that you can make the best use of a scarce resource…your tutors.
For example, if you choose to offer lessons in all subjects and grades, you will need to have many more tutors than if you only offer math for grades 7-12. And based on the numbers, you could probably attract enough students to run a profitable academy offering only math for grades 7-12. On the other hand, an academy specializing in English classes for grades K-6 probably won’t attract nearly as many students as the previous example.
Deciding which subjects to teach is therefore a balance between what grades and subjects you can comfortably manage and what you need to offer to maintain a profitable business.
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