Why are parents more transparent about getting their children extra help with their learning?

Why are parents more transparent about getting their children extra help with their learning? asks @MyTutor

48% of the UK are now more likely to share and discuss their child’s experience of private tutoring with others

Co-founder of MyTutor, Bertie Hubbard, discusses the impact which the pandemic has had on the mental wellbeing of young people across the nation

• 48% used to think tutoringwas unnecessary but since the pandemic they now think it’s really valuable
• 48% are now more likely to share and discuss their child’s experience of private tutoringwith others
• 30% agree that before the pandemic they would never publicly discuss using private tutoringas they worried it might make their child appear less intelligent, but post pandemic they no longer feel this is the case
• 44% will continue to invest in online tutoringfor their children post-pandemic

In what has been a year of pandemic-induced disruption for the UK’s children, education in particular has been turned upside down. As schools were forced to shut, lessons shifted to digital and living rooms were turned into classrooms, many parents and children sought out extra resources to catch up with lost learning. 

What was once seen as a premium resource for parents, private tutoring has become an accessible support structure to aid one of the most challenging periods in academic history. Indeed, within its own business, tutoring thousands of children, the UK’s leading online tutor, MyTutor has seen significant growth, and a shift in attitudes towards private tutoring. In the wake of this transition, MyTutor has commissioned a nationally representative study evaluating the drivers behind this de-stigmatisation. The new data has found that now, almost half of the nation are more likely to share and discuss their child’s experience of private tutoring with others, with 44% agreeing that they will continue to invest in online tutoring post-pandemic. Furthermore, almost a third of the country agree that pre-pandemic they would never publicly discuss using private tutoring as they worried it might make their child appear less intelligent, but now they no longer feel this is the case.

This is in stark contrast to previous national data commissioned by MyTutor pre-pandemic which revealed that a third of parents who hired a tutor to help their child with their school work kept it a secret, with one in four confessing that if directly asked about it, they would rather lie than admit to doing so.

Key stats*:

• 48% used to think tutoringwas unnecessary but since the pandemic they now think it’s really valuable
• 48% are now more likely to share and discuss their child’s experience of private tutoringwith others
• 30% agree that before the pandemic they would never publicly discuss using private tutoringas they worried it might make their child appear less intelligent, but post pandemic they no longer feel this is the case
• 44% will continue to invest in online tutoringfor their children post-pandemic

*(nationally representative research commissioned in April 2021, in full compliance with the British Polling Council Guidelines)

The benefits of private tutoring are two-fold: alongside providing educational support, the one on one personal interaction offers pastoral support which ensures they are no longer lost in a sea of faces on a zoom call. Having a personalised education which is specific to learning style along with external influences such as age and geographical location has immense benefits. This familiarity also became ever more valuable as lockdown attributed to poor mental health and isolation of children who missed their school friends and interaction with their teachers.

Bertie Hubbard, co-founder of EdTech platform MyTutor, discusses the impact which the pandemic has had on the mental wellbeing of young people across the nation:

“The last twelve months have been unbelievably tough year on teens and parents alike with months out of school, exam cancellations, not seeing friends and worrying about Covid-19. As schools open again, catching up on lost learning and prepping for assessed work this term will bring another set of challenges for teens. 

They’re in more need than ever for some support and reassurance with their studies, and that’s exactly what our tutors offer. Our tutors are all from UK universities, and because they’re just a few years older they can easily relate to what teens are going through. With their dedicated one-to-one support, teens get some much-needed reassurance and come out with a stronger self-belief – 88% say that lessons made them feel more confident.

Rather than replacing teachers with robots, the biggest power of EdTech lies in enhancing person-to-person learning. At MyTutor, we provide online tuition that raises kids’ grades, boosts confidence and helps them fulfil their potential in life. Because it’s online, kids get access to amazing tutors from across the country, rather than whoever’s nearby. As there’s no travel for the student or the tutors, it also saves time and money travelling – reducing the cost and stress involved for parents.”