A recent audit of Victoria’s billion-dollar tutoring program to help students who have fallen behind during the COVID pandemic “did not significantly improve students’ learning” but one tutoring expert believes that doesn’t mean the government should abandon plans to offer students extra support.
Teacher and founder of tutoring school Learning Space Jason Ursino says tutoring is only effective if parents and students treat it like it holds some value to them – and that by overhauling the sector nationally, to ensure students have affordable access to quality tutoring from real teachers, students will benefit.
Learning Space is based in Sydney’s Castle Hill and offers private and small group sessions to support students from year five to the Higher School Certificate (HSC).
The maths teacher of 20 years believes an effective tutoring program would have the following features:
- a separate and fresh environment to the usual school setting
- a program that is run by teachers who have an in-depth understanding of the school syllabus
- the government could potentially make redeemable vouchers, similar to the Active Kids vouchers, available to families to increase their tutoring options and make it more affordable
- the program teachers must also have an understanding of how to motivate students and bring them on board – “only teachers who love teaching will have an idea of how to do this effectively, not uni students with a 99 per cent ATAR who are tutoring for extra cash”, says Ursino.
Watch out for tutors with no teaching experience
He believes that the tutoring sector currently has far too many operators who “may not hold formal teaching qualifications or understand modern students’ education needs”.
“Tutoring companies don’t always hire teachers and neither are they necessarily run by teachers or those who actually work with children in schools. There is a big difference between being taught by a professional educator who has a genuine passion for sharing knowledge and knows how to tailor their approach to each student and a very bright uni student who is just there to earn money.”
Ursino says some of the biggest issues the sector faces include that there is “no regulatory oversight on what tutoring schools actually teach kids, nor are there any guidelines or standards that parents can refer to, so they know the service their children are receiving meets the benchmark”.
“It’s troubling that so many parents regard tutoring with a sense of fear of missing out; and that they may feel their child will be left at a disadvantage if they don’t go to tutoring,” he told EducationDaily.
“With increasingly limited positions available at selective schools, tutoring operators are promising the world to hopeful parents and students but delivering very little.
“Legislation, or a watchdog of sorts, would help parents make informed decisions about which tutoring school to send their kids too,” Ursino says.
“It will add accountability and transparency to the sector. Some guidelines on red flags to watch for and an avenue to make a complaint, if necessary, is a good start to ensuring tutoring operators are ethical, effective, and accountable.”
Turning academic performance around
He says Learning Space is different because it was founded by a teacher and today, Ursino says it only hires teachers who are experienced – especially with HSC subject knowledge.
“That’s why Learning Space has had such a successful track record of turning academic performance around. We know every student is different and have many tools at our disposal to motivate them and bring out the best in them,” he told EducationDaily.
“In the end, tutoring is only effective if parents and students believe it holds some value to them; our teachers help them discover a love of learning and give them the confidence to navigate learning so that they can become independent lifelong learners.”
Ursino says tutoring is like personal training – “if” it is paid for, most teenagers would feel obligated to stick with it”.
“An investment of money and time eventually should bear fruit because it requires the student to show their commitment and do the work it takes to improve their performance. They are quickly shown that the effort they put in is eventually rewarded. It’s ultimately their choice how they want to proceed.”
He says “obligation, stress, and even a little pressure are not necessarily bad things”.
“We all need these things to motivate us to work hard to get the results we want,” he told EducationDaily.
“The difference is whether or not students feel confident to work through unfamiliar or difficult questions or situations. We equip them with these skills and they apply them.
“Learning Space teaches that no problem is unsolvable, and it can take a variety of approaches or a fresh perspective to find something that works for you. The important part is to keep trying and never give up.”
Helping students be their best
Ursino believes that every student deserves extra attention and support to help them be the best they can be.
“Outside of the classroom, a fresh and separate environment like a tutoring facility can be a great boon to all students from those who are falling behind to gifted students,” he says.
“Tutoring facilities should have programs that are run by teachers who have an in-depth understanding of the school syllabus. They can be one-on-one type lessons, small group lessons, or holiday intensives. Only relevant coursework is taught in such an environment and taught by professionals with updated teaching methodologies and up-to-date knowledge of the curriculum.”
Motivating students to want their own success is key.
“I try to keep it fun and light without sugarcoating the need for students to actually do the work. I encourage them to identify their goals and work out the steps needed to get there,” he says.
“All students need to do the best they can, even if they don’t know what they want to study or do later on in life because it keeps their options open.”
