Adam Caller, founder of the leading global tutoring firm Tutors International, made a statement this week noting that higher income families are increasingly seeking full-time private tuition and homeschooling for children as independent school fees rise
A report published by academics at the Institute of Education has found that private school fees have trebled in real terms since 1980, with their cost as a proportion of household budgets rising “inexorably” over the period. For families at the 95th income percentile in the UK, the average fees for one child have risen from 10 to 20 per cent of their income over the period. [1] This correlates with a surge in the popularity of homeschooling and record demand for full-time private educators, Tutors International founder Adam Caller confirmed, as parents seek added value from education providers.
Mr Caller commented: "We are seeing that higher income families are increasingly turning to private tutoring, especially when two or more children require full time education. Whilst the Institute of Education report confirms that the market has been able to bear the increases in independent school fees, we have seen a marked number of families opting for full-time private tuition because they are seeking more in return for their educational investment. Many families assume that if they are paying for their child to attend the most prestigious private schools, the child will automatically get the best education, but this is by no means guaranteed; private schools cannot match the tailored experience private tutors can offer, and for two or more children, private tuition can be more cost effective.”
More families every year are choosing to educate their children outside of the traditional classroom environment for a variety of different reasons, from special educational needs to family, work, and travel commitments. Tutors International operates all over the world to provide families with exceptional private tutors, who are perfectly matched to their individual needs.
Mr Caller explained: “Our clients find that private tutoring meets demands which traditional schools cannot. Children learn better when they have access to one-to-one support, an individualised curriculum, and a tutor who can recognise their strengths and incorporate them into the academic experience. The real value of a tutor is in their ability to work with their environment, and their student, to create engaging learning activities that the child will enjoy and retain.”
Private tuition also opens doors for parents and children to relocate, travel, and explore the world: an offering which independent schools cannot compete with.
“Families are beginning to realise the possibilities open to them in terms of remote working, sabbaticals, and taking children out of school for long periods,” Mr Caller added. “Employing a private tutor to travel with the family means that not only are studies uninterrupted, but children – and their parents – get the most value out of their trip, with a deeper understanding of the geography, language, history, and culture of the places they visit, and fundamental skills for living in the wider world.”
To find out more about Tutors International, the services it provides, and its commitment to finding the perfect tutoring match for each individual client, visit www.tutors-international.com
References
[1] Institute of Education research paper: "Who Chooses Private Schooling in Britain and Why?" https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news-events/news-pub/jan-2018/private-school-fee-hikes
