It seems a little bit extreme to suggest that tutoring children after school is child abuse, but that is what Gail Larkin, president of the National Association of Head Teachers has said.
I sure all my children would agree, especially my youngest child when she says “it is making many children miserable and damaging levels of “self-worth”
She said large numbers of parents succumb to the pressure of the “playground parliament” – the rather scary gathering of ambitious mothers that congregate at school. I certainly do remember there being a tidal wave of effort to get your child tutored – once one or two parents admit to it then everyone starts panicking that their child is not going to be given a fair advantage if they don’t get it too. It’s ridiculous. A bit like sending our children to expensive private schools instead of deciding en mass to support local state schools.
I note she doesn’t appear to differentiate between state or privately educated children – there is a big difference in the hours and the size of the classes and yet I bet the private school kids get just as much after school tutoring as the state taught ones.
I would have also thought it was important to take the child and the tutor into consideration. Some combinations are no doubt hugely helpful. Especially if it is more about a child needing help with their homework or trying to understand basic maths or science. It does certainly seem to be a growing industry as we push our children harder – but then again, how many hours work to the Asian children do after school?
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I had to have tutoring for two of mine but that was to deal with learning difficulties. I was having a similar thought the other day when I asked no one in particular what the point of homework was. I mean, why can’t schools just do what they can during the day and cover the rest the following day? Why do kids have to come home from school and tackle hours of homework?
I know – seems a little unfair to have to keep working on their return home….Lx