TCT Code of Conduct
The Tamilcube Certified Tutor (TCT) credential reflects more than skill — it reflects the way a tutor carries themselves with students, parents, and the wider community. This Code of Conduct sets the standards every TCT applicant and certified tutor agrees to uphold. By submitting an application or accepting a TCT credential, you agree to abide by this Code.
1. Honesty in your application
By submitting an application, you confirm that:
- All information you provide — qualifications, experience, registration status, Tamil proficiency self-rating, and any supporting evidence — is true, complete, and not misleading.
- Any documents you submit are genuine and belong to you.
- You will promptly inform Tamilcube if any of the information you provided changes materially before your certification is issued.
Misrepresentation in your application is a serious breach and may result in rejection of your application, withdrawal of any invitation to enrol, or revocation of an already-issued certificate.
2. Conduct during training and assessment
- Attend scheduled training sessions punctually, prepared, and engaged.
- Complete assessment components without unauthorised assistance. Plagiarism, impersonation, or use of another person’s work as your own is not acceptable.
- Keep assessment materials and questions confidential — do not share them with future candidates.
- Treat instructors, examiners, and fellow candidates with respect at all times.
- Disclose any conflicts of interest with an examiner (e.g., personal or business relationship) before an assessment takes place.
3. Professional conduct as a tutor
Once certified, you will:
- Conduct yourself professionally and courteously with students, parents, schools, agencies, and peers.
- Honour your commitments — turn up to scheduled lessons on time, prepared, and for the agreed duration.
- Be transparent about fees, scheduling, cancellation terms, and any additional materials students or parents are expected to purchase.
- Maintain reasonable communication standards with parents — respond to enquiries within a reasonable time, and give advance notice of changes.
- Respect the confidentiality of any personal or family information shared with you in the course of tutoring.
- Comply with all applicable Singapore laws, including the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 when handling student or parent data.
4. Working with students
- Treat every student with dignity, regardless of background, ability, race, religion, gender, or any other characteristic.
- Provide honest, constructive feedback. Do not make guarantees of grades or examination outcomes.
- Set clear academic expectations and support students in meeting them.
- Refer concerns about a student’s well-being, learning difficulties, or safety to their parent or guardian where appropriate.
5. Safeguarding minors
The majority of students you will teach are minors. Their safety is non-negotiable. As a TCT-certified tutor, you will:
- Maintain professional boundaries at all times. Do not engage in personal relationships, romantic communication, or physical contact beyond what is necessary for normal tutoring.
- Conduct in-person lessons in safe, appropriate environments — preferably in the student’s home (with a parent or guardian present or nearby) or in a public/centre setting.
- Conduct online lessons through transparent channels — parents should always be able to observe or join the session.
- Avoid one-to-one communication with minor students on private channels (e.g., personal social media). Use channels visible to a parent or guardian wherever possible.
- Do not share, request, or possess any inappropriate material involving a minor. Any such conduct will result in immediate revocation of your TCT credential and may be reported to the Singapore Police.
- Report any disclosure of abuse, neglect, or safety concern to the parent or guardian, and where appropriate to relevant authorities, in accordance with Singapore law.
A serious breach of this section is grounds for immediate revocation without prior warning.
6. Using your TCT credential
- Quote your TCT credential accurately — using the full form (“Tamilcube Certified Tutor (Grade A)”) or the short form (e.g. “TCT-A”).
- Always pair your grade with the levels you are certified for, so parents understand the fit.
- Do not represent yourself as TCT-certified for levels you were not certified for.
- Do not represent yourself as endorsed, employed, or registered by Tamilcube Tuition, the Ministry of Education (MOE), or any other body, unless you genuinely hold that separate status.
- Do not represent that an expired or revoked TCT certificate is current.
- Make your verification URL visible to parents and agencies, so they can confirm your status independently.
7. Tamilcube intellectual property
Training and assessment materials, the Tamilcube Tutor branding, the TCT certificate design, and the Tamilcube Tuition resources you may access as a certified tutor are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. You may use them only as agreed, and you may not:
- Reproduce, redistribute, or commercially exploit Tamilcube materials beyond your own teaching, unless explicitly permitted.
- Pass off Tamilcube materials as your own.
- Use the Tamilcube name or logos in ways that imply ownership, partnership, or endorsement that does not exist.
8. Continuing competence and recertification
- Stay current with the MOE Tamil syllabus and any updates communicated by Tamilcube.
- Participate in continuing professional development that Tamilcube may require for recertification.
- Recertify before your TCT credential’s expiry to remain a current Tamilcube Certified Tutor.
9. Reporting breaches
If you believe another applicant or certified tutor has breached this Code, or if a parent or student has a concern, please contact us at conduct@tamilcube.com or use the contact form selecting “Other”.
Reports are treated confidentially to the extent possible, given the need to investigate fairly. Retaliation against anyone who makes a report in good faith is itself a breach of this Code.
10. Consequences of breach
Where Tamilcube has reason to believe this Code has been breached, we will typically:
- Notify the tutor of the concern and give an opportunity to respond.
- Investigate proportionately to the seriousness of the matter.
- Decide on an outcome. Possible outcomes include:
- No further action.
- A formal warning.
- Required remediation (e.g., reassessment, additional training).
- Suspension of the TCT credential.
- Revocation of the TCT credential, recorded publicly on the verification page.
- For breaches that may involve criminal conduct — a referral to the Singapore Police or other relevant authority.
Decisions are made fairly, in writing, and may be appealed by writing to conduct@tamilcube.com within 14 days of the decision.
11. Changes to this Code
Tamilcube may update this Code from time to time to reflect operational, regulatory, or safeguarding needs. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent change. We will notify certified tutors by email when material changes are made. Continued participation in the TCT Programme after a change indicates acceptance of the updated Code.
