My post on Friday dealt with the staggering size of the US private tuition industry, and the uneasy tension between the personalized learning experience (which many would understand to be at the heart of tutoring) and the increasing encroachment of big business into this field.

Therefore, as an antidote, I thought I would share with you a new book by the American tutor/ author Marina Koestler Ruben entitled How to Tutor Your Own Child: Boost Grades and Inspire a Lifelong Love of Learning – Without Paying for a Professional Tutor (see above). The basic premise is that parents can be just as good when it comes to coaching their children, thus echoing some of the research I pointed to in an earlier post, Tutoring: A Tool for the Masses?.

Judging from some of the internet buzz already surrounding this book, it looks like a valuable (and entertaining) resource. The positive comments on the US Amazon site don’t just include parents, but also teaching professionals. I get a sense it’s going to be a useful resource for many private tutors too. The Chicago Tribune has just published an interview with Ruben, in which she very briefly outlines the 6-step method at the core of her tutoring. Below is an extract from the article:

Q: I don’t know how to teach. How can I tutor?

A: Teaching and tutoring are different. A teacher presents material. A tutor checks to see if the child has understood. A big part of a tutor’s job is helping a child learn how to learn, to come up with techniques to retain and clarify information.

Q: What tips might I adopt from professional tutors?

A: Show your child you love learning. You want your child to take on that feeling. Be calm. If the child has delayed or procrastinated, respond calmly to help him come up with a plan. Break down big tasks.

Q: What if I don’t know the subject?

A: It depends on the kind of help your child needs. Ask to see his notes to refresh your memory. Talk yourself through them as he observes. Prompt him to explain them. Sometimes just reviewing his notes, which students may overlook as a means of studying, will be enough for him to grasp the concept.

If it’s something like a specific math problem, it’s appropriate to seek outside help. Help your child find the proper resource. Walk him back through his notes, or guide him to similar problems in his textbook. Direct him to write the problem to ask a teacher, look it up online, or contact a student who succeeded in the class. Parents can contact a college or graduate student if it’s high-level math or science. It’s still cheaper than hiring a pro.

Q: I’ve got the basics to tutor: a large surface with equal access for me and my child, and the supplies. Now what?

A: A formal session follows six steps. 1. Give your child your undivided attention. 2. Open the session with an encouraging statement. 3. Ask what’s new in the subject since you last met. 4. Ask what’s happening now in his class. That’s your work for this session. 5. Ask what’s next, to plan for upcoming assignments or exams. 6. End on a positive note. You want your child to leave feeling empowered.

The author Marina Ruben’s own blog is here.

The ISA was set up under the Labour government as a measure to try to protect young people and vulnerable adults by placing around a quarter of the UK’s adult population on a database. The ISA’s Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) received severe criticism from many quarters and from diverse perspectives, including:

• a community perspective (‘vetting breaks down informal relations of trust and judgement between adults and children, and ultimately damages child welfare’);
• a civil libertarian perspective (‘vetting is an unjustified intrusion of a centralised state, and assumes all adults are guilty until proven innocent’);
• a financial/ workability perspective (‘no estimate has been made of the likely number of children who will be saved from abuse, and the money could be better spent on improving social work’); and
• a security perspective (‘if (unproven) database information is released in error, it will be personally, socially and financially ruinous for individuals’).

Despite the disadvantages of the VBS, some of those involved in private tuition saw it as a useful measure to replace the so-called CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) disclosure certificate which, although generally accepted as valid for 3 years, is by its nature out-of-date the moment it is issued.

An alternate bureaucratic measure now being rolled out across the UK is the enactment of what the media have termed ‘Sarah’s Law’. In the words of the government guidance on this, the so-called ‘child sex offender disclosure scheme’ means that ‘If you are worried about someone in your child’s life, you can get them checked by the police to see if they have a record of child sexual offences’ and that ‘anyone can ask for a police check on someone they are worried about’.

On the face of things, this may seem like a reasonable alternative for parents to check the background of a tutor before employing them. However, I can see three major flaws in such an approach:

1. for parents to actually make an application, they have to visit their local police station in person with some ID (such as a passport or driver’s licence) – how many parents are seriously going to want to do that?
2. the government guidance on this consistently states that the system is set up for individuals to enquire about ‘someone they are worried about’. A private tutor you’ve never met before is not someone you are worried about – he or she is simply someone you don’t know about. How many police forces up and down the country are going to be happy about processing possibly multiple applications on a single tutor on a ‘just in case’ basis, when they are no grounds for suspicion in the first place?
3. the final, related and perhaps most important point is that all enquiries about an individual will undoubtedly be recorded by the police. Are innocent tutors really comfortable with the idea of multiple checks being processed on them by the authorities? Since the system is set up for the investigation of those whom members of the public are ‘worried about’, any application is likely to result in bureaucrats deciding that the activities of these individuals may need to be monitored. In an even stronger sense than with the VBS – because this new disclosure scheme is an active rather than passive process – innocent people may suddenly find that they are under suspicion.

Ultimately, as we pointed out in our interim statement on child protection in the private tuition industry, the vast majority of child sex offenders are not known to the authorities at all. This means that bureaucratic measures such as the VBS or Sarah’s Law will always be comparatively weak tools in the fight against abuse. Concerned parents must instead take responsibililty themselves for the welfare of their children. Measures such as asking for two references from a tutor and following them up, and sitting in on lessons or leaving the door open are a sensible start.

Concerned parents are encouraged to read our Safety Advice, the link to which is prominently displayed on our homepage. Further advice on this topic will be available soon, but in the meantime, we recommend the Stop it Now! campaign, including their 5-minute introductory video.

There were interviews with two people who have detailed knowledge about this industry: Janette Wallis from The Good Schools Guide and James Turner, Policy Director at the Sutton Trust.

Below is a handy summary of what I think are some of the key points from their discussion. I hope you find it useful!

Why do parents hire a private tutor?

Janette mentioned there are two reasons why parents hire a tutor: firstly, a child who is struggling in a particular subject can improve their confidence and grades through tutoring. Secondly, there is the more negative aspect where tuition can be ‘contagious’, leading to the so-called tutoring ‘arms race’ among parents.

James agreed with the latter problem, noting there is more competitiveness and pressure than ever before. More children are getting top grades at GCSE and A-level, there’s a squeeze on university places and a squeeze on graduate careers. Parents naturally want to do the best for their child, and so will try to give them the edge.

Who hires private tutors?

James referenced a survey by The Sutton Trust which shows that a fifth of all children have had some form of private tuition over the course of their school careers, rising to more than 40% in London.

Parents of various financial means will make sacrifices to pay for a tutor, but there will still be many parents who can’t afford private tuition at all. As a charity, James mentioned how The Sutton Trust is concerned about those families from poorer backgrounds that miss out.

Janette talked about the type of parent who can’t afford £5000/term for private education, but who does have enough to pay £500/term for private tuition. In other words, these parents will go the state route but ‘top it up’ in certain subjects with a private tutor. She also stated that demand in some circumstances is driven by children themselves who are influenced by their classmates having tutors.

Does all this tutoring mean there is something fundamentally wrong with the state education system?

James noted that although private tuition is most popular in London, state school standards have actually risen faster in London than in other urban areas, so the amount of tuition isn’t necessarily correlated with the standards in state schools. He said how it’s more about an increasing consciousness of the issues and the competitiveness already talked about.

Tuition isn’t regulated in the UK: so how should parents choose a tutor safely?

Janette mentioned three key points in this regard. Firstly, parents should look for a tutor with a CRB check as a basic minimum. Secondly, some parents feel more comfortable if a tutor comes to their house because they feel that it’s a safer environment (although it’s a more expensive option). Finally, she recommended speaking to others who’ve used the tutor to help build up a picture of someone who’s trustworthy.

Does private tuition work?

James mentioned how research proves quite conclusively that private tuition provides the best way of boosting a child’s results. For that reason The Sutton Trust is currently piloting a tuition programme for children from poorer homes, not only to help those children but also to assess exactly effective one-to-one or small group tuition can be.

Janette mentioned there is research that shows how it’s the one-to-one nature of tutoring that works so well, and not necessarily whether a tutor is highly qualified or not. In that respect, parents often underestimate what they can do for their children themselves (on this point see Tutoring: A Tool for the Masses).

On tuition scare stories

A final word from Janette: Whenever I hear that ‘everyone in the class is getting a tutor’, you’ve got to be a little sceptical – it’s like ‘everyone in my class has an iPhone’ – I don’t think it’s always true.

The confusion will cause a major headache for organisations which have been preparing for the July kick-off of the scheme.

Self-employed private tutors, for whom the VBS is not a statutory requirement, will be no doubt be watching the ensuing chaos with a sense of relief that they don’t need to get involved. Other tutors won’t be so lucky: they’ll still be affected because of their employment by schools or other so-called Regulated Activity Providers (RAPs).

The good thing is, the information in our recent interim statement on private tuition and the VBS still holds true.

We therefore urge all parents, tutors and others concerned about child protection in the private tuition industry to familiarize themselves with the issues by reading it at:

http://www.thetutorpages.com/media-room/june-2010-child-protection-interim-statement.pdf

Although the survey results don’t appear to be up yet on their website, eGov monitor covered the story yesterday.

In line with the rules of the VBS, 88% of those questioned thought that vetting should take place where the activity is weekly or more. However, 66% supported vetting where the activity is monthly or more, 66% wanted schools to check authors and other similar visitors to schools, and 61% said that parents involved in school exchanges should also register with the VBS.

Ironically, these are the very areas of the VBS which were scaled back last December amid a storm of protests from parents, teachers and volunteers that the government had gone too far. At the time, the seven main representative organisations for school and college leaders wrote a letter to Ed Balls saying that the newly introduced system was “disproportionate to risk”. The result was a government climbdown involving a reduction in the number of adults who would have to register from around 11 million to 9 million.

It is hard to know what to make of the new Fairplay For Children survey. Jan Cosgrove, its National Secretary, is one of the few outspoken supporters of increasing the scope of the VBS. Sitting firmly on the other side of the fence are campaigners such as Josie Appleton and the Manifesto Club. Personally, I’m impressed by the views of Mark Easton, BBC News’ home editor, who has described the VBS as “a child of moral panic” and “a textbook case of how media hype, political expediency and bureaucratic process lead to conclusions that can later appear disproportionate”.

Last month, we published our own survey which suggested that there was widespread opposition to the VBS among private tutors, for whom signing up is voluntary.

We’re now doing some research into the risk of child abuse within the private tuition context. We’ll be asking questions such as How big is the risk? Is there any evidence that a voluntary system for tutors will actually reduce the risk of abuse, or is it just something good for the tutor’s CV? Could the VBS actually increase the risk of child abuse? John Adams (expert in risk compensation, Emeritus Professor of Geography at University College London and Honorary Member of the Institute of Risk Management) recently raised this spectre in his blog:

Leaving aside the mind-boggling expense and bureaucracy required to perform this feat [introduction of the VBS], its effect is almost certain to be perverse. A CRB check will be seen as an insurance policy; behaviour that might previously have aroused suspicion is now less likely to be questioned because some superior authority has certified the suspect as “safe”.

John Adams states on his website that he is “intrigued by the persistence of attitudes to risks” and laments “disputes about issues for which conclusive evidence is lacking”. Quite. We’re hoping to get some more evidence together on the subject of risk in private tuition, for the benefit of parents, tutors and other interested parties. Watch this space!

A combination of pushy parents and increasing pressure to do well has forced more and more pupils to sign up for extra lessons – so many that some educationalists are now worried about the effects of that pressure.

The funny thing about the above quote is that I actually dug it out from an article published in 2001 – almost ten years ago.

One of the problems with this area is that there is very little independent research into private tutoring, and that with a dose of media hysteria statements such as the following from Mylene Curtis of Fleet Tutors (in the Times article) can end up turning into self-fulfilling prophecies:

There is a fear factor among parents … They are unsettled by constantly changing initiatives, lack of confidence in local schools, dropping standards and under-qualified teachers.

The fact is that Britain’s schools are not in crisis, no matter what the headline writers would have us believe. The recent Cambridge Review – the most comprehensive enquiry into English primary education for 40 years – found that primary teachers have never neglected the 3Rs and that primary schools may be “the one point of stability and positive values in a world where everything else is changing and uncertain”.

Journalists’ assumptions about what it is that tutors do also need to be challenged. Anne McElvoy’s claim in The Standard that parents are so worried that they will pay tutors for “stuffing yet more learning into their young” fundamentally misunderstands the psychology of tutoring. The research (see here) actually shows that, more than any other form of learning, tutoring stimulates independent thinking.

Moreover, because the power of tutoring lies mainly in the constructive contributions of the student themselves, the need for so-called expert tuition is diminished and tutoring needn’t be as socially iniquitous as many commentators like to make out. In other words, a novice tutor (or parent, sibling or friend) with a good grasp of the subject could instead achieve excellent results through very simple means.

The 11-plus can safely lay claim to being the most controversial exam in England. Melissa Benn’s recent article on the subject, and the vehement avalanche of responses it generated, are a case in point.

One way in to the debate is to see how it’s shaped by two psychological tendencies which are always in opposition: altruism and egocentrism. This fact alone should tell us the arguments will rage on and on, and often within the same individual. Many parents have egalitarian ideals, but at the same time want the very best for their child. As with all oppositions, balance must be sought, whether at the personal or societal level.

Ultimately, however, parents for whom the 11-plus is an option must deal with the system as it currently stands. They need to be sensible and pragmatic. If they decide to go for it, not only forward-planning, but the whole approach from the start is critical. No child should be made to feel a failure. As Susan Hamlyn, in her excellent article on The Tutor Pages states, ‘the business of applying to this or that school should be a ‘let’s give it a go’ venture, not a matter of life, death, family honour, tradition, pride or, above all, fear of letting one’s parents down.’

Luckily, there is good advice at hand. Firstly, Susan’s own book, 11+ English: A Parent’s Toolkit is a recognised authority on the topic. Secondly, the website elevenplusexams.co.uk contains a staggering amount of information on the topic, as well as several very active forums. This website features as one of our top 20 educational websites in the UK, as listed in our own resource, Tutoring: The Complete Guide.