Minority pupils are more likely to get private tutor
WHITE British children are much less likely than ethnic minority pupils to be tutored privately outside school hours, a study has found.
The results show that 25 per cent of white pupils had been tutored compared with 56 per cent of Asian pupils and 42 per cent of black youngsters – and may go some way towards explaining why white British children are, on average, falling behind their peers.
Experts have long warned that many white working-class families are not as aspirational as those from immigrant backgrounds, and many lack the motivation to help their child succeed in school. The latest study, carried out by the educational charity Sutton Trust, suggests white families are less willing to pay for extra tuition to boost their children’s grades than those from other ethnic backgrounds.
Research published last year by the Centre Forum think-tank found that, by the age of 16, only 37 per cent of white British pupils in English schools achieved eight good GCSEs in key academic subjects. This compared with 73 per cent of Chinese pupils and 58 per cent of Indian pupils.
The Sutton Trust study revealed that the most common reason for tutoring was general help with school work, while smaller proportions said that they had been given tuition for specific GCSEs or a school entrance exam.
Children from wealthier families are twice as likely to have received additional help compared to classmates from lessaffluent families. A spokesman
‘Appreciation of education’
for the Sutton Trust said: ‘High rates of private tuition among ethnic groups may reflect a strong cultural appreciation of education.
‘But it’s important that all young people have access to the same educational opportuni- ties. We want to see targeted improvement programmes aimed at pupils at particular risk of falling behind as well as means-tested vouchers to supplement lessons for those who can’t afford it.’
The poll of 2,600 11 to 16-yearolds in England and Wales found that, overall, 30 per cent had been given private lessons. This is up from 25 per cent of youngsters who said the same last year and nearly double the 18 per cent who said they had received extra help in 2005.
The study also used international data published by the OECD, based on tests taken by 15-year- olds in more than 70 countries, to examine how private tuition varies between nations. It revealed that out of 22 countries, teenagers in England spent significantly less time getting extra help than peers in 12 other countries.
Sutton Trust chairman Sir Peter Lampl said: ‘Private tuition is the hidden secret of British education. Within an educational arms race that entrenches advantage for those who can afford private school fees or homes close to good comprehensives and grammars, it has remained largely in the shadows.’
Earlier this year, former education secretary Nicky Morgan caused a stir by suggesting British parents were not as interested in their child’s education as those from other cultures. She said: ‘Around the world, young people and their families fight for education, and in this country parents fight to take children to Disneyland.’