A report said that more than 50 per cent of school pupils received private tuition in some European Union countries. Demand for private tutoring principally came from 'high achievers', and was fuelled by pressure on youngsters to do well in exams and by 'social competition'. Private tutoring reflected – and exacerbated – social inequalities: it was mostly about maintaining the competitive advantages of the already successful and privileged. Financial cutbacks had also reduced the extent to which educational institutions could provide individual learning support within school. Private tuition could restrict children's leisure time in a way that was psychologically and educationally undesirable.
Source: Mark Bray, The Challenge of Shadow Education: Private tutoring and its implications for policy-makers in the European Union, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2011-May
