As the summer break gets under way, reports from the BBC and The
Guardian suggest that parents will be turning their attention to hiring
private tutors for their children.
The Guardian’s tuition report,
released in April 2013, revealed that in the past year all of the
private tuition businesses polled experienced a significant growth in
the number of students applying, with some recording a rise of over 40
per cent.
Research has long shown that the ‘summer
slip’ can be detrimental to the learning development of a child, with
students demonstrating lower test results at the end of the six weeks.
Furthermore, some research indicates that, as a result of the
differences between the learning opportunities offered by low and high
income families, poorer students are particularly vulnerable.
And
while head teachers have hit back, accusing certain centres and
tutoring agencies of ‘trading on insecurities’, the reality is that
parents are aware of the economic challenges facing school-leavers. In
many cases their reason for hiring a personal tutor is to ensure that
their child achieves the highest grade they possibly can.
Yet with tuition charges ranging from £7 up to £60 per hour, many parents and young families cannot afford them.
So
what are the options; what are the alternatives? The most common
question mark centres on the debate about online vs. face-to-face
tuition. Here’s our list of pros and cons to help you make the right
choice for your child:
Face-to-face private tutoring
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
- Focused
support
1:2:1 personalised tutoring can be particularly beneficial for those who
lose focus or have difficulties concentrating in a class environment.
|
- Price
Fees vary according to subject, grade level, location and quality of
tuition.
Students also need regular coaching and support to demonstrate any
significant progression.
|
- Dedicated
study time
Allocating set times to meet with tutors means students have a
structured time to study during the summer break.
|
- Accessibility
Students who live in rural areas, or whose parents who are at work or do not have
their own vehicle, can have difficulties getting to a private session.
|
- Entry
exams
Many schools are ill-equipped to prepare students for entry-level exams.
|
- Personality
conflicts
Students may not get on well with their tutor or may not be able to
adapt to their style of teaching.
|
Online tutoring
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
- Anywhere,
anytime
Students can access wherever they have an internet connection and on
multiple devices – removing the boundaries around when and where study
takes place.
|
- Doesn’t
suit everyone
Students who have low motivation or have bad study habits may not cover
as much as they would with a tutor present.
|
- Price
Fees vary according to subject, grade level, and quality, however a
monthly subscription to LearnersCloud
GCSE tutor-led videos, for example,
is priced at £4.99, enabling a learner to access their full course of
subject videos 24/7.
|
- Feeling
isolated
Lesson objectives outline what students will learn from each clip
and end-of-topic questions test their understanding. However, students
may feel isolated without an instructor being present.
|
- Tracking
progress
Parents can review an online student report card – enabling them to
monitor what videos their child has covered, how they scored on
end-of-topic tests and supporting them in identifying gaps in knowledge
or areas to improve upon.
|
- Internet
speeds vary
While many online tutoring services can be streamed via 3G, some require
a wi-fi connection and some can be slow to buffer in areas with poor
signal service.
|
- Visual
learning
Tutor-led videos (e.g. LearnersCloud) offer animated instructions that
combine high quality content with CGI graphics – bringing the learning
experience to life.
|
|
- Self-paced
Students can pause, replay and rewind sections if they are unsure or
unclear about any of the concepts and topics covered.
|
|
