This month was the opening of the Tutors Association, and its Chairman, Tom Maher, explicates why he considers that private tutoring in the United Kingdom is increasing in popularity.
For more than a decade, the UK’s private tutoring industry has been expediently growing. Reports suggest that the amount of private tutors supersede the amount of school teachers.
The UK’s tutoring industry inaugurated its own industry organization, The Tutors’ Association, this past month. The main purpose of this organization is to endorse the benefits of tutoring in schools, and among the public and parents.
The growing global phenomenon of the private tuition industry is here to stay. The World Bank indicated that Japan led the way in the implementation of private tutoring, which is a complementary form of education.
Approximately 30 per cent of university students spent a few years after secondary school taking entrance tests at focused private tutoring courses. The number is greater, around 60 per cent, for the students enrolled in the top ranking colleges.
Besides Japan and the United Kingdom, the phenomenon of private tutoring is increasing in many countries with diverse political institutions, economic growth and demographics.
Some countries spend on private tutoring almost the same amount of money as in the established public school system. For example, South Korea’s households spend a percentage of their GDP on private tutoring equal to that of public education. The same phenomenon is taking place in Turkey. In other countries, such as Russia, China, Vietnam and several African countries, private tutoring is growing.
Note that the UK’s tuition industry is capitalizing on this new global education market. This market is based upon technological innovation and the fact that the middle class is looking for employment in the service industry, which is competing for more education.
Other factors, such as an increasing in female employment and cultural values, are playing a role in the growing global phenomenon of the private tuition industry. An example is that in London it is East African Asians who are more interested in the promotions of private tutoring. In addition, cosmopolitanism is proliferating in British cities. These new communities turn to private tutoring in order to adapt to the public education system.
That being said, the Tutors’ Association takes into consideration the problems of inequality within the communities. Graham Stuart MP, the Chair of the House of Commons’ Education Committee, points out that the private tutoring industry is willing to work with the government’s pupil premium program, which main goal is to raise the standards of students falling behind in their studies. We all want the best for our children, if you haven’t had any recommendations and are carrying out internet searches for local tutors such as: ‘personal tutor, Bromley’ they should display their accreditations on their website as well as testimonials and possibly information regarding references.
Finally, the growing global phenomenon of the private tuition industry is due to the teacher’s inability to deal with the particular demands of each student. In many cases, they do not have the resources and time to work on each student’s needs. Meanwhile, private tutors offer this kind of focused help. The inauguration of the Tutors’ Association showcases the growing need of private tutoring in the UK thanks to domestic and global factors.
About the author
Michael Drayton is a private tutor, Bromley, tutoring children aged from 4 to 16. Drayton has a keen interest in tutoring pupils who may have fallen behind their peers in mainstream education in addition to tutoring more able students whose aim is to maximise their performance.