Whether having a tutor is “fair” is something which we’re often asked and before we can answer this I feel we need to put tutoring into the appropriate context.
Tutoring, or augmenting a child’s in-school learning, has been going on for decades.
Many of us can recollect overhead conversations between our parents and those of classmates when comments about who had a tutor and whether “so and so was better than X” to help with studies.
Those conversations, however, were not too frequent since during that period it was not something that was openly discussed, as if having to employ a tutor for your child was an indication that something wasn’t ‘right’, either with the school they were attending, or your child’s learning ability.
More personal trainer, less fat camp
It was rather like being overweight and having to attend a health farm to lose weight and tone up, to regain some youthful vigour.
That period was one when property prices and school fees seemed high but affordable, rather than the situation we are in today where both are moving ever-upwards towards those stratospheric heights.
And just like pilots who require additional help to survive at those heady altitudes, the young students of today require assistance too, to survive and flourish in the rarefied levels of their school studies.
This being so, the model which tutoring now embodies is one, not of health-farms but of being your personal fitness instructor and motivational coach all in one.
Yes they can help your child to develop a greater understanding and application in their study subjects, and yes they can show them quicker, faster and more effective ways to work, but your tutor can also ramp up their attitudes and motivation, so they continue to study well in the time between tutoring visits too.
Yes, parents – your child may well end up studying because they WANT to do it … not just because they’re told to do it!
No longer just a cottage industry
Over the last decade or so tutoring has morphed from something which was a local-only cottage industry into something where every few months it appears private equity firms and investment houses are making announcements about setting up multi-million pound tutoring facilities.
One-third of parents use tutors
Research shows a steady increase in the amount of children being tutored and currently at least one-third of parents say they’ve employed a tutor in the last twelve months.
This includes tutoring in exam techniques (including the eleven plus) along with actual subject specific knowledge and skills.
Tutoring is a permanent feature on the educational landscape
With the ever increasing private school fees and more competition for places at the best state schools, parents will continue to seek out ways to all but guarantee a top place for their child.
Word of mouth used to be the way parents acquire the contact details for a tutor, however, because many local parents are competing for a restricted set of places at their preferred schools, many parents are keeping those contact details locked away in their smartphones.
All ages, all subjects
There’s never too early a time to begin to help your children with developing good skills around how they learn. This could simply be getting them used to taking time away from their tablet, television or toys and carrying out some short reading or maths tasks.
Later, these brief times could be expanded or added to so as to put in place the framework for the development of a long-lasting love of education.
We post regularly on tutoring and how when used correctly it’s a very useful tool to help your child.
If you’d like to review the plans you have for your children’s education you can contact us for a confidential discussion.