I have a cousin in Matric who is at extra lessons weekends and many days after school. It’s not because he’s not bright – quite the opposite. It’s because school demands have become hectic, and kids are chasing more distinctions to get into university and certain degrees.

In my day, things weren’t as competitive, but I struggled with maths (A LOT!) and went through a few not-for-me extra-lessons teachers. I doubt I would have become an actuarial scientist with a decent tutor, but I often wonder what would have happened if I had the right person supporting me, and guiding me through a subject I just couldn’t apply myself to.

So what happens when your child is battling with a subject (for whatever reason), and they need some tutoring? We put a lot of thought into what schools to send our children to, and pay a lot of money for their education, but where do we go when they need extra-lessons?

Enter Penguin Tutoring, a nationwide tutoring company that provides tutors for more than 40 subjects, from primary school all the way to postgraduate degrees. And even if you’re not in the market now, it’s worth bookmarking this post, or even remembering the name Penguin for if/when your child needs someone.

What I like is that everything is well managed – tutors are screened and monitored and matched up to your child and their subject, and your child’s progress and what they’re doing in their lessons are charted, so you can get feedback any time.

You can opt for lessons throughout the year or term, a crash course over a few hours, or group or individual lessons. Penguin has tutors in Joburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Pietermaritzburg and The Winelands.

Here are the subjects that Penguin covers:

For more information, go to the website, email them here, or find them on Facebook.