This article originally appeared in The Good Web Guide.
Have you heard about the private tutoring ‘arms race’? Is ‘everyone’ now employing a private tutor for their child? And does it worry you that as a parent you’re not doing enough for your child’s education?
Every parent naturally wants to do the best for their child, but scare stories about the private tuition ‘epidemic’ cause unnecessary anxiety among parents. Not every child needs a private tutor. And parents who employ a tutor should enter the process with open eyes.
No Longer for the Privileged Few
First of all, tuition is primarily an effective medium of instruction, and not a subject for dinner-party angst. Its benefits are no longer only for the privileged few, as demonstrated by the government decision to employ thousands of one-to-one tutors in schools. A study by Edge Hill University revealed that over 2,500 low achieving six-and-seven-year-olds in England achieved four times the normal rate of progress in maths after only a 20-hour educational intervention.
Research also shows that one-to-one tuition achieves its effects in an unexpected way. Evidence collated by the University of Pittsburgh refutes the traditional assumption that employing an expensive tutor is necessary. That’s because, rather than the tutor’s instructional methods being paramount, it is the constructive contributions of students themselves which are responsible for their progress. This is important for parents because it suggests that a novice tutor (or parent, sibling or friend) with a good grasp of the subject can also achieve excellent results.
Hiring a Tutor
For a parent interested in hiring a tutor, several other factors need to be taken into account. Most obviously, what is the best way to find a tutor safely? Word of mouth is perhaps the easiest solution, since you can listen to the recommendations of those whom you trust. Using a tuition agency will also work for some. Although there is an advantage in the personal matching service offered by an agency, in harsh economic times this may come at too high a price for many.
Finally, an online service such as thetutorpages.com can be a good option. Parents contact tutors for free, and so costs are low. As a result, it is then up to the parent to follow up a tutor’s references themselves. Tutors on this site not only write extensively about their background, but submit at least one article on their expertise, thus helping parents decide who to hire.
As a trained primary teacher I often ask this question too?? However, I ask the question, should my children in my class hire a tutor?
In my opinion, I believe that children’s education experiences should firstly come from the home, social experiences and then when they are of age, school. I now work in a school where many of the children are able to afford a tutor and I would say 50% or more of my children have a private tutor. I wonder is it because I am not an effective teacher the parents feel the need to get their child tutored also. But feedback from parents, children and colleagues would not support this idea. I then think, these parents just want the very best for their child, they want them to be successful and have opportunities that they may not have had when they were younger. Education is important and it can shape your entire path in life. You cannot blame a parent for wanting the best for their child.
Before I ventured overseas to teach I thought about tutoring. I have the skills and knowledge to do it and I know that one to one teaching is effective. However, when I am older and return to the U.K. this then may be an option for me.
I personally feel tutoring has never been for the privileged. Of course it helps if money issues are not a problem but I had a tutor for my standard grade Biology and I was born and raised in a working class family. My teacher was great but I was finding it hard to understand certain topics and really just needed one to one attention. Luckily a family friend offered to help, all I required was a few hours and ‘the penny dropped’ as they say. My best friend who is also a teacher was tutored because again she found some areas of her education difficult but with one to one help/support she was able secure the knowledge she needed to be successful in her exams. Her tutor was hired through word of mouth, so I would suggest when thinking of hiring a tutor to do your research and ask around.
Overall, I believe it is up to the individual child and the parents of the child if they hire a tutor or not. If you can afford it and feel it would benefit your child, I say go for it. I also believe there are many teachers out there like myself who would give up an hour or two to help a child become confident in their learning for free. Satisfaction and the smile on the child’s face when they finally understand is priceless and money cannot buy this warm, happy, proud feeling that comes over you when you hear the child say “thank you” with genuine gratitude.
On that note, Tutoring should not replace family, friends, social experiences or teachers but help to build upon the existing knowledge the child already has.
This was written in response to the article ‘Should I hire a Private Tutor for my Child?’ Feb 15th 2011, originally appeared in The Good Web Guide. There are no sources to back this up, this response is from my personal experiences and opinion.
18/2/11
Very few students go through school never needing a tutor. The trick for most parents is to know when is the right time. My feeling is a parent is better off “fixing” a problem as soon as they see it… not waiting until it becomes a major crisis. EB