Tutoring

A tutor is a person who helps you learn. They know a lot about a subject. They can teach one person or a small group.

Long ago, people learned skills in families. Some tutors taught kings and queens. In old China, some teachers were very famous. They even had their own ideas about life.

Today, many students get extra help after school. This can help them do better in class. Some teachers do this to earn more money. It is a very big job in many lands.

Tutoring is when an expert helps a student learn. This person is called a tutor. The student is called a tutee. Tutors share what they know about a subject. They might meet for a few hours each week.

History shows that tutoring is very old. In ancient Egypt, scribes used formal learning. In ancient China, famous teachers like Confucius taught many students. Some tutors even taught future kings. In ancient Greece, people paid to learn public speaking.

Today, tutoring is a very big business. In Asia, many families use it. In South Korea, nearly 90% of elementary students get extra help. This is often called "shadow education." In Hong Kong, about 85% of older students use it.

Tutoring can help students do much better in school. However, it can also be hard for families. In China, families spent a lot of money on it. This led to a new rule in 2021. The rule helped make tutoring a non-profit service. This helps make things fairer for all students.

Tutoring is a way for a student to get private help with school. This help usually comes from an expert teacher. An expert is someone with deep knowledge about a specific subject. The person teaching is called the tutor. The person learning is called the tutee. Tutors spend time each day or week sharing their skills. They help students master new things through personal attention.

Learning through tutoring has been around for a very long time. In ancient Egypt, scribes used formal ways to learn. In ancient China, famous teachers like Confucius taught many people. These teachers were so popular they started new ways of thinking. In ancient Greece, some people called sophists taught public speaking. Even in ancient Rome, wealthy families used Greek slaves as tutors. Some tutors were even very important leaders in royal courts.

In many places today, tutoring is a huge industry. In Asia, it is often called "shadow education." This is because it happens outside of regular school hours. In South Korea, nearly 90% of elementary students get this help. In Hong Kong, about 85% of older students use it. In India, the tutoring industry was worth about $70 billion in 2017. Some tutors even become famous like celebrities in these countries.

Tutoring can be very helpful for a student's grades. Some studies show that well-trained tutors can help students improve a lot. However, tutoring can also cause some hard problems for families. It can be very expensive for parents to pay for. In China, families once spent 40 to 50 percent of their money on it. To help, China started a new rule in July 2021. This rule made tutoring groups non-profit to help families save money.

There are many different ways to find a tutor today. Some people meet in person at a home or office. Others use the internet to find a teacher online. In the United Kingdom, some students use a special school program. This helps them pay for the extra help they need. In the United States, some websites match students with thousands of tutors. This makes it easy to find the right expert for any subject.

Tutoring is a form of private academic assistance. It is usually provided by an expert teacher. This person has deep knowledge or specific expertise in certain subjects. The teacher is known as the tutor. The person receiving the help is called the tutee. Tutors spend time on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis with their students. They aim to transfer their specific expertise or skills to the tutee. This process can happen in many different settings.

History shows that instruction has always been personal. In ancient Egypt, formal education was seen among scribes. For most of history, skills were passed down through families or apprenticeships. In classical antiquity, lower classes used group settings called ludi. However, upper classes preferred private home tutoring. In ancient China, aristocratic tutors like Confucius and Mencius were very influential. Their large number of students helped establish major philosophies. In ancient Greece, sophists taught public speaking for money. The philosopher Socrates provided similar services for free. He often criticized sophists for not caring about actual truth.

Royal tutors have always held high status and prestige. In the Zhou dynasty of ancient China, the Grand Tutor was a major lord. This position was one of three great lords in the royal court. Similar high-importance roles existed across East Asia into the modern era. Tutoring became more structured in the 20th century. This era brought a focus on specialized training and evaluation for tutors. As mainstream education spread, the demand for supplemental tutoring also grew. Today, it is a massive global industry.

In many Asian countries, tutoring is called "shadow education." This term describes private tutoring that happens outside of school. It can create many challenges for society. A 2012 study by the Asian Development Bank highlighted several risks. Shadow education can maintain social inequalities and divert household income. It can also create inefficiencies in the official education system. In South Korea, nearly 90% of elementary students receive shadow education. This often happens in cram schools called Hagwon. In Hong Kong, about 85% of senior secondary students use these services.

The tutoring industry has become very profitable. In some places, tutors achieve celebrity-like status. This is common in Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. In Hong Kong, tutorial centers often use catchy advertisements. They might call a teacher the "king" or "queen" of tutorials. Technology has changed how people find help. In South Korea, entrepreneurs use computers and other technology for tutoring. In the United States, online marketplaces aggregate many tutors. One site in California has over 34,000 registered tutors.

The costs of tutoring are very high in many regions. In 2010, Japanese families spent $12 billion on private tutoring. In 2011, the secondary tutoring business in Hong Kong reached $255 million. The private tuition industry in India was worth about $70 billion in 2017. In South Korea, shadow education costs reached $17.3 billion in 2010. These costs can be a heavy burden for families. In China, families once spent 40 to 50 percent of their total spending on tutoring. To address this, China passed the Double Reduction Policy in July 2021. This policy reclassified tutoring groups as non-profit organizations.

Tutoring can have a massive impact on learning. Research shows that students who receive tutoring often outperform others. In some cases, well-trained tutors can help students improve by two standard deviations. This specific result is known as Bloom's 2 sigma problem. However, tutoring is not always effective. Some students become too tired from excessive study. This can cause them to sleep through regular school classes. In some countries, teachers provide private lessons to supplement low salaries. This can lead to corruption if teachers teach less in their regular classes to promote private lessons.