Dymocks Tutoring and Talent 100 will cease operations this weekend, closing all five of its Sydney centers. Before shutting down, the business told parents they could save money on human tutoring and subscribe to Gemini or ChatGPT instead.
Dymocks Education says AI costs A$30 a month
Mark Buckland, chief executive of Dymocks Education, which operates Dymocks Tutoring and Talent 100, told AFR: 「Most customers are better off spending their hard-earned money on cheaper options rather than simply paying for overpriced tutoring.」
He also said: 「AI is obviously not as good as our human tutors with a full support system, but it also only costs A$30 a month.」 The report says A$30 is about NT$670.
The Daily Mail said tuition fees at the business could reach as much as A$900 per subject, or about NT$20,000. At Buckland’s stated price, that is enough to pay for 30 months of AI subscriptions.
The Daily Mail also cited Buckland as saying the tutoring industry does not really do anything unique and mainly gives students reassurance, something he believes AI can also provide.
Industry and parents reacted differently
Mohan Dhall, chief executive of the Australian Tutoring Association, told AFR he was surprised by Dymocks’ decision to leave the market. 「I had thought that if they stayed a bit longer, there was still more this industry could do.」
Comments compiled by the Daily Mail showed a split response from parents. Some said they understood the decision. Others criticized it as a misunderstanding of AI. One commenter wrote: 「Human interaction is more motivating for students. My student looks half asleep the moment they sit in front of a Chromebook.」
Tutoring is common in Australia
An article published in The Conversation last September said tutoring is widespread in Australia. It estimated that 1 in 6 students across the country had received tutoring, rising to 1 in 4 in Sydney. The number of tutors nationwide was estimated at 45,000 to 80,000, and the sector is not regulated by any level of government.
Closure comes as student performance draws concern
The shutdown comes as Australia faces concern over student outcomes. The Daily Mail said the latest PISA results showed Australian teenagers recorded their lowest reading and math scores in 20 years.
New South Wales and Victoria have already banned mobile phones in schools and limited screen time. Victoria has also moved to ban smartwatches and headphones for students on campus.
OECD data released on Sept. 8 as part of PISA 2025 also examined how students use AI. According to the report’s reference to an earlier BlockTempo story, students who used AI every day for homework scored 28 points lower in science than those who hardly used it, while students who used it once a week performed best.
Why the company said it was closing
According to the account given to customers, students are increasingly using AI to prepare for exams, making human tutoring less cost-effective. Buckland acknowledged that AI falls short of human tutors, but said the price gap is large: A$30 a month for AI versus as much as A$900 per subject for tutoring.