Brits adopt an international approach to private tutoring, normalising extra curricular support

In what has been an intensely disruptive year in education, leading EdTech platform MyTutor, has conducted a study on how the pandemic has shifted our perceptions in private tutoring. In response to these educational challenges, Brits have developed a far more international approach to private tutoring, akin to Asian and a growing American culture who consider private education to be a mandatory element of both pre and high school education. The BBC has cited a forecast which says that the global private tuition industry is booming and will be worth $227bn by 2022, primarily fuelled by this growth in Asia. Indeed, Japan currently offers ‘jukus’ (cram schools) which have been operating since the 1970s where parents send their 2-3 year old kids to start learning before they enter formal education. In fact, Japan was somewhat of a trendsetter in private education spending $10.9 billion on tutoring in 1991 when it was not as popular in Western culture.

The nationally representative research from MyTutor has found a nation now acutely aware of the value of tutoring. Where it was previously seen as a premium luxury, personalised education is now considered a critical resource, instrumental in keeping children on track through a period of significant disruption. It has been revealed that almost half of the nation used to think that tutoring was unnecessary but now since the pandemic have found it is very valuable, with 44% agreeing that they will continue to invest in online tutoring post-pandemic. Furthermore, almost a third of the country agree that pre-pandemic they would never have publicly discussed using online tutoring as they worried it might make their child appear less intelligent, but now they no longer feel this is the case. This is in stark contrast to previous national data commissioned by MyTutor pre-pandemic, which revealed that one third of parents who hired a tutor to help their child with their school work kept it a secret, with one in four confessing that if directly asked about it, they would rather lie than admit to doing so.

Historically, the UK’s education system has always been an uneven playing field. With only 6% of the UK’s school population attending private schools, educational exclusivity is very apparent to British society. Indeed, previous research from MyTutor has found almost a quarter of the nation agree that their socio-economic class affected their performance in school. The impact of the pandemic has unfortunately exacerbated this issue as the middle classes and regions with more infrastructures in place have far better access to better resources. This can also be seen in international cultures, who also unwillingly take part in the ‘educational arms race’, creating fierce competition between societal groups.

Key stats*:

48% used to think tutoring was unnecessary but since the pandemic they now think it’s really valuable
48% are now more likely to share and discuss their child’s experience of private tutoring with others
42% agree that their child has the highest levels of stress they have observed in his/her lifetime
30% agree that before the pandemic they would never publicly discuss using private tutoring for fear it might make their child appear less intelligent, but post-pandemic they no longer feel this is the case
44% will continue to invest in online tutoring for their children post-pandemic
24% agree that their socio-economic class affected their performance in school
*(nationally representative research commissioned in April 2021, in full compliance with the British Polling Council Guidelines)

The Zoom classroom is out, online tutoring is in:

The benefits of online tutoring are two-fold: alongside providing educational support, the one-on-one personal interaction offers pastoral support which ensures they are no longer lost in a sea of faces on a zoom call. Having a personalised education which is specific to learning style along with external influences such as age and geographical location has immense benefits. This familiarity also became ever more valuable as lockdown attributed to poor mental health and isolation of children who missed their school friends and interaction with their teachers.

“Teens need support now more than ever”: Bertie Hubbard, co-founder of EdTech platform MyTutor, discusses the impact which the pandemic has had on the mental wellbeing of young people across the nation:

“The last twelve months have been unbelievably tough year on teens and parents alike with months out of school, exam cancellations, not seeing friends and worrying about Covid-19. As schools open again, catching up on lost learning and prepping for assessed work this term will bring another set of challenges for teens.

They’re in more need than ever for some support and reassurance with their studies, and that’s exactly what our tutors offer. Our tutors are all from UK universities, and because they’re just a few years older they can easily relate to what teens are going through. With their dedicated one-to-one support, teens get some much-needed reassurance and come out with a stronger self-belief – 88% say that lessons made them feel more confident.

Rather than replacing teachers with robots, the biggest power of EdTech lies in enhancing person-to-person learning. At MyTutor, we provide online tuition that raises kids’ grades, boosts confidence and helps them fulfil their potential in life. Because it’s online, kids get access to amazing tutors from across the country, rather than whoever’s nearby. As there’s no travel for the student or the tutors, it also saves time and money travelling – reducing the cost and stress involved for parents.”