Where to Find a $4-an-Hour Math Tutor with a PhD? Overseas

Over here in Belgium in person math tutors are 40-60€/hr when booked through agencies, 15-30€/hr when negotiated directly . Tutors are mostly university students from STEM fields. Customers are parents of high school kids that are failing math. Lessons are in French or Dutch. Lessons are given outside school hours, so only Wednesday afternoon, weekends or early evening hours (5-8pm), typically at the customer's home. Engagements are most often for a once a week fixed appointment for a semester. Demand outstrips supply.

What do you think prevents prices from rising?

I think prices are still rising. That said, the market is split. The agencies are businesses and hence pay taxes, the direct tutors usually do not declare income and operate in a black market/cash in hand fashion. Most STEM students are financially naive. To them the prices already feel high and they seem reluctant to go truly maximaly price seeking. This in turn limits the agency market as the gap would grow to wide.

While in theory there are great alternatives in online materials etc for math remediation, the truth is most of the students using these tutor services don't lack potential but motivation. The parents send them to tutoring, the student does not want to be there and so wiuld also not fi d or consult alternatives.

I wonder if anyone has compared the impact of crossborder online services in English-speaking countries with non-English-speaking countries. The linked article focuses on the United States and on services provided in English. Countries where the dominant language is not widely used outside that country—Hungary, Japan, Greece, Korea, Thailand—would seem to be more dependent on online services provided from within the country.

https://archive.is/4YSyA