Tutoring

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.