The private tutoring sector may provide a key to improving social mobility and education standards according to the article. The sector has a large network of highly intelligent and motivated tutors who could help close the attainment gap. The government could work with the private tutoring sector by utilizing existing tutors, establishing regulation, and providing teaching resources to improve quality and standards of tutoring. Partnering with private tutors may help the government achieve its goal of improving education and catching students falling behind.

1. Private matters
The private sector may provide the key to an education system promoting
social mobility, argue Hamid Hashemi and Patrick Meehan, of Mayfair Tutors…
E
ducation policy looks set to be one of the most initiative and the reluctance to provide extra funding to the
controversial issues facing the new Coalition sector suggests it will soon be forgotten.
Government. The Conservatives’ Swedish free
However, if the coalition is serious about reaching the
school model, conflict over higher education fees, and estimated 300,000 pupils who fall behind their peers every
question marks over whether they are willing to make year, it would do well to build on its predecessor’s ideas
available the £2.5bn investment in schools demanded by rather than start anew. The greatest weakness surrounding
their coalition partners, are all cracks that will take some current political debates on one-to-one tuition is the
papering over. Education is an area, however, that must be tendency to completely ignore the private tutoring sector.
prioritised as Britain continues to lose ground compared The failure of initial trials has been blamed on the
with the rest of the industrialised world. shortage of willing recruits and the over-reliance on
Demanding ever greater investment in education is no existing teachers with already burgeoning workloads.
longer a satisfactory antidote, especially as the new Although to some extent unregulated, the private sector
government seeks to address Britain’s huge deficit. The boasts a well-organised network of highly intelligent and
biggest issue facing the new government is how to well-motivated tutors, perhaps better able to instil a
improve standards and to create an education system able passion for learning than an exhausted teacher after a full
to promote social mobility. working day.
Earlier this year a major report by the National Equality By embracing the private tutoring sector the government
has the chance both to utilise the extensive network of
Panel concluded that rather than being fixed at birth,
existing tutors and to establish greater regulation across
inequalities related to family background widen through
the tutoring business. There is already talk within the
the years of compulsory education. Seized upon by the
sector of establishing an association of tutors to regularise
Conservatives as a further sign of Britain’s broken society,
and improve standards. In return, the state could consider
the new Lib-Con coalition has already pledged to ‘close setting up an education resource bank containing teaching
the attainment gap between richest and poorest’ as one resources carefully tailored to the national curriculum for
its fundamental priorities. For both the coalition partners tutors to draw upon. In this way the quality of tutoring and
the answer is more targeted funding through the ‘pupil the teaching materials used would be well safeguarded.
premium’ that will ensure more money is allocated to The promise of universal one-to-one tuition for those who
pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. A policy of are falling behind was an ambitious pledge and one that
targeted funding has in fact existed in all but name for could have played a major role in improving levels of
many years. A recent research paper found that on attainment amongst pupils of all social backgrounds.
average primary schools are already allocated 71% more If the new government is determined to improve
funding for admitting a pupil from a disadvantaged educational standards, then it may be an initiative it can
background, a figure that rises to 77% for secondary ill afford to spurn.
schools. Although this funding was to a certain extent
flattened by local authorities, it seems that neither Hamid Hashemi
increased investment nor better targeted funding should Managing Director
be seen as the magic bullet. Patrick Meehan
Academic Consultant
One of the few innovative policy initiatives in recent Mayfair Tutors
years that specifically pledged to target ailing pupils Tel: + 44 (0)20 7665 6606
from disadvantaged backgrounds was Labour’s £500m enquiries@mayfairtutors.com
commitment to provide one-to-one tuition to all pupils www.mayfairtutors.com
aged seven to 11 years old falling behind in maths and
English, starting in September 2010. Had Labour gained a
fourth term, it seems this would have become one of its
flagship policies, offering a vital safety net to catch those
pupils who have the academic ability to do well but perhaps
lack the foundations of a stable, supportive family
background. The Conservatives’ focus on the free schools
1 Public Service Review: Central Government: issue 21