Must be the season for returns. :)
Unfortunately so much depends on the teacher's self assessment of their worth and sometimes an inflated (or deflated) ego affects the final price. :) There are a lot on inflated egos in this business don't cha think?
Unfortunately many of the fees are set by organizations rather than the market forces and inexperienced students more often become victims of charlatans than gain an unfair advantage from a highly proficient teacher.
Not too sure that we can compare Aussie and Brazilian prices with those in the States but I'm prepared to try.
Our Aussie dollar only buys 51 US cents. So that, two of ours for one of yours criteria, appears to make things purchased in Oz using US dollars, very inexpensive for Americans. However many of the comparisons I have made show that common commodities here are about TWICE the price of those in the US. Which brings me to the point.
If the artificially set fees, (that is, fees not set by market forces), are approximately a carton of beer per half hour, how can some presume to demand 5 to ten cartons without producing a commensurate return in the student. Do you have a prices surveillance branch. We do.
Standard teaching fees here for Grade 5 downward are $25 Aus for 30 mins.
Grade 6 up are $27.50 Aus per 30 mins.
So you can convert them to US dollars by halving our dollar price. Therefore in US dollars a Grade 5 student would pay as the standard fee, $25 US an HOUR. I think that's a reasonable price.
Now I've had fair amount of contact with teachers of various calibre's and I have the feeling that poor teachers jump on the bandwagon with the good ones and by the time the student realises his mistake he's already parted with his dough. Not just with singing teachers either.
Here it is usually allowable to pay weekly or in arrears without alteration.
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