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In May 2013, the Centre for Market Reform of Education launched a consultation on its plans for a new national association for tutors. They aim to develop industry standards and improve the consistency of the private tutoring market. This process concluded yesterday, and we await its findings and conclusions.
We are regular bloggers in education and tutoring, and to open up a broader debate on The Tutors Association (TTA), we recently wrote about our concerns on the form that it might take in ‘Who will benefit from a new national association for private tutors’.
The more information and opinions that can be drawn together, the better. We were pleased to support Henry Fagg’s (of The Tutor Pages) initiative to get feedback from independent tutors.
The results of The Tutor Pages survey were made public today. This is what the tutors had to say.
Should tutors be required to hold a university degree?
71% think requiring tutors to hold a degree might exclude quality tutors
69% believe requiring tutors of children over the age of 11 to have subject-specific degrees is too inflexible
I concur with this view. There are lots of really talented and effective tutors who would be excluded from entering the new professional body. Degree-level entry standards are unnecessary and should be relaxed.
Will tutors choose to join up?
94% think many excellent private tutors will decide not to join the Association
The big question is why so few tutors would join the TTA. Maybe it’s because of the degree-level entry requirement, or maybe it’s because of the cost. Most people pursue tutoring part-time and do not earn the kind of money that would allow them to cough up a couple of hundred pounds for membership.
Things might change if members command higher hourly rates, in which case, for tutors, it would be an economically beneficial decision to sign up. Were the state education system to only choose from TTA tutors, the prospect of regular school work may tempt more significant numbers of tutors to join.
Is the tutoring industry broken?
67% say no parents have raised concerns about quality in the private tuition industry
56% think current regulation of the tuition industry is sufficient and no self-regulation is required
I have been involved in the tutoring industry for many years, and in all that time, I have only received a few messages of concern about a tutor. Where things go wrong, it’s almost always because the chemistry isn’t right between the tutor and the student. Tutors are, on the whole, honest and trustworthy and tutor because they are knowledgeable about the subjects and love teaching.
Occasionally, you may see tutors passing themselves off as better qualified or more experienced than they are and claiming non-existent DBS / CRB checks. But an upfront chat with them and asking to see a copy of their DBS / CRB check will quickly identify if there is anything adrift.
Learn more on jobs for ex-teachers here.
Does the industry need a new association?
56% do not think the new Tutors’ Association could be “an independent arbiter of the quality of private tuition.”
56% do not think the Association as currently proposed would ensure higher standards
62% of tutors think there is a need for an association to set and maintain industry standards
I think that there is a role for the TTA in establishing quality standards and codes of conduct and providing balanced information to the public about tutoring. Maintaining industry standards by running complaints handling and the disciplinary process seems a step too far, as quite apart from the cost, it’s not apparent what teeth the Association would have.
Finally, I should mention that we have attended a Consultation session at the Centre for Market Reform of Education. It’s our opinion that there is no political agenda at play here, as suspected by some. It’s a well-intentioned initiative that deserves to be supported. I believe that its focus needs to be altered somewhat, but I think that once implemented, it will result in better quality tutoring, which is ultimately what we all want to see.
I hope that this blog post sheds some more light on the topic. We will keep you updated on the news as it happens.
In the meantime, if there is anything you would like to get off your chest, please feel free to comment on this blog post. You can find an ongoing discussion about TTA on LinkedIn.
Why not check out the related articles below?
An Interesting read which requires some commentary iby way of update to help people gain a balanced view. Since its inception The Tutors Association has grown each year to what is now an organisation which represents, through both its corporate and indvididual members, approx 35000 tutors across the UK. The association has grown its set of benefits for its members to be one of the best of any professional body today. Four years ago the Tutors Association launched its first annual conference at Stowe School. This has grown and is now an important annual event with promient key speakers, workshops , member networking and an industry suppliers showcase. CPD webinars were launched two years ago to help tutors gain more knowledge. This initiative has further developed into nationwide Community Hubs where, regularly, between 40 and 60 tutors meet to discuss various topics from pedagogy to marketing to government initatives. Approximately 18 months ago the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) began targeting the professional tutoring sector, putting the self employed status of tutors at severe rsik. The Tutors Association stepped in immediately and began direct discussions with the BEIS in the heart of Whitehall. This suspended any further action against tutoring agencies and the tutors while talks were ongoing. The Department for Education invited the Tutors Association to sit on a committee to develop safeguarding guidelines for out of schooll learning settings. This committe meets regularly and the association plays a pivotal part in its deliberations. Recently the National Tutoring Programme was announced by the government, the association has been in discussions with the Sutton Trust helping guide the conversation with government and continue to do so to ensure the scheme is properly managed for the good of all disadvantaged students. The TTA has a staffed office and fields calls daily from people wanting to become members, existing members wanting advice and a rapidly growing number of parents seeking guidance about professional tutoring. Very importantly, the association plays a large part ensuring the sector does not become a highly regulated sector, preferring to offer government comfort that Codes of Practice and Ethics are in place, safeguarding is pivotal and CPD is taken seriously.