The importance of the private piano teacher is not understood  by many parents who send their children to a school. The private teacher can tailor make the lessons to the actual needs of the student and does not have to conform to  requirements of the school.  A good teacher must give the students the tools  so  that they can stand on their own  and not always require a teacher. Beware of teachers who teach only by rote and never demand that their pupils learn to read music and understand music notation.