Big demand for private tutors as home schooling stumps parents
PARENTS struggling with home schooling have sparked a boom in private tutors.
Families are willing to pay up to £30 for a half-hour video lesson.
One tutoring agency, which provides both primary and secondary tutors, said demand for its services has almost doubled.
Schools are scheduled to stay closed for at least the next month because of the pandemic.
Many retired teachers – and some on maternity leave – are also offering their services as both private and group tutors via Zoom.
While schools are required to provide pupils with online learning materials during lockdown, some parents are concerned it is not enough and fear their children will fall behind.
Tutorful, one of the UK’s leading home tuition firms, said it had received a 40 per cent increase in bookings since the pandemic hit.
A spokesman said: ‘It is mainly parents who are seeking a bit of help supporting their child’s home schooling – in particular in subjects the parent isn’t confident in, or because they want their child to keep some structure and to keep the child’s confidence in subjects. The core subjects – English, maths, science – are certainly the most popular but also things like music, as parents are also looking for a way to keep their children entertained.
‘We’ve seen more and more primary age children having lessons, whereas secondary was always our biggest cohort of learners.’
Primary teacher Morag Thomson, 36, who is on maternity leave after giving birth to daughter Alice six months ago, began Tutor Scotland late last year after realising she could help struggling families.
She has since decided not to return to her teaching job in Perthshire and to develop the business while being a stay-at-home mum.
Miss Thomson, whose farmer partner is the comedian Jim Smith, offers both one-to-one video tuition and morning group video sessions for £5. She also operates one free video session online a week.
Miss Thomson said: ‘I have more than 14 years’ experience as a primary teacher and felt I could really help families at this difficult time.
‘It started with just children of friends but since this latest lockdown I’ve been inundated with requests. I now have 14 students I tutor regularly.
‘Children are being given work to do at home that their parents – many who are also working from home – don’t know how to teach. I have had parents crying on the
‘More primary children are having lessons’ ‘I have had parents crying on the phone’
phone to me, saying they want to do the best for their kids.’
Last week, the Scottish Government disclosed plans for a phased return to the classroom that will keep most pupils away from school until March.
Education Secretary John Swinney warned that infection rates must fall before schools can reopen – which could take eight to ten weeks after lockdown was imposed on Boxing Day.
Mr Swinney confirmed that one option being explored is for those children in nursery and primary one to three to return first. He has also suggested that pupils in S4, S5 and S6 could be prioritised.