Obviously I believe in the value of private tuition or I wouldn’t be doing it, but I also believe that you can have too much of a good thing.
There are lots of situations in which extra help can be valuable. It can help to build self-confidence. It can help with a subject that a pupil finds particularly tricky or has fallen behind for some reason, or where they don’t get on with their teacher. It can give an extra focus to exam revision or course work preparation. It can help boost exam grades – first time round or retakes. What it shouldn’t be, is a substitute for childminding during the holidays – keeping children occupied when their parents are busy or working (and, yes, it does happen!). Nor do I believe that children should be regularly tutored in more than 2 or 3 subjects, as a general rule. There may be the odd exception such a change in school which involves a temporary need to catch up. All parents want to help their children succeed in education but sometimes excessive tuition can result in huge pressure on a child. If they can’t get into that school, or gain that scholarship, without a huge amount of outside help, it may be that it’s not the right school for them. No-one wants to see a child struggling in a school that’s too academic for them, their confidence eroded as they perceive themselves as failure.
Some children do need a bit of a push; some just need some gentle encouragement and a good tutor should recognise which approach is appropriate.
Sue Smith Private Tuition 