tutelage

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

tutelage
    n 1: teaching pupils individually (usually by a tutor hired
         privately) [syn: {tutelage}, {tuition}, {tutorship}]
    2: attention and management implying responsibility for safety;
       "he is in the care of a bodyguard" [syn: {care}, {charge},
       {tutelage}, {guardianship}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Tutelage \Tu"te*lage\ (t[=u]"t[-e]*l[asl]j; 48), n. [L. tutela
   protection, fr. tutus safe, fr. tueri to watch, defend. Cf.
   {Tuition}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. The act of guarding or protecting; guardianship;
      protection; as, the king's right of seigniory and
      tutelage.
      [1913 Webster]

            The childhood of the European nations was passed
            under the tutelage of the clergy.     --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The state of being under a guardian; care or protection
      enjoyed. --V. Knox.
      [1913 Webster] Tutelar

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

TUTELAGE. State of guardianship; the condition of one who is subject to the 
control of a guardian.

83 Moby Thesaurus words for "tutelage": abetment, administration, advocacy, aegis, auspices, backing, care, catechization, chair, chair of English, championship, charge, charity, clientage, clientship, coaching, countenance, cure, custodianship, custody, dependence, dependency, didactics, direction, edification, education, encouragement, enlightenment, favor, fellowship, fosterage, goodwill, governance, government, guardianship, guidance, hands, illumination, information, instruction, interest, jurisdiction, keeping, management, ministry, oversight, pastorage, pastorate, pastorship, patronage, pedagogics, pedagogy, preceptorship, private teaching, professorate, professorhood, professoriate, professorship, programmed instruction, protectorship, readership, reeducation, safe hands, schooling, schoolmastery, seconding, self-instruction, self-teaching, sponsorship, spoon-feeding, stewardship, sympathy, teachership, teaching, tuition, tutorage, tutoring, tutorship, ward, wardenship, wardship, watch and ward, wing