Large class sizes across Western Australia are driving parents to seek additional help for their children as wait times for tutors balloon across mathematics, English and science subjects, even for upper primary school.
Ace Tutoring business director Amanda Moody, who has 30 years’ experience in the field, said demand rose after the pandemic.
Small-group tutoring is important, experts say. Credit: Istock
She said students were learning at home and parents, able to be more engaged in their children’s learning, had seen firsthand the subjects they were struggling in.
Moody said wait times had since skyrocketed and was concerned this could lead to large-group tutoring, which was too similar to a classroom environment.
“Tutoring often involves going over the basic skills all the time and everyone starts at different levels,” she said.
“In big groups of 30-plus students, similar to a classroom, it is just not possible to cater for everyone and help them catch up.”
Moody said it was mostly C-grade students falling through the cracks because they were not failing, but not excelling, so often avoided attention.
She believed at least one in three students in every classroom across WA needed additional help.
WA schools allow a maximum of 32 students from years 4 to 12, meaning teachers are dealing with some of the biggest class sizes in the country.
WA Primary Principals Association president Niel Smith said anecdotally, larger class sizes were driving the higher demand for tutors, alongside the feeling from parents that schools were becoming more disrupted.
He disagreed C-grade students were flying under the radar, and said this grade meant they were working to the expected standards.
“It’s more likely parents from higher socioeconomic areas would employ tutors when their children are scoring below an A-grade, to prepare for more rigorous ATAR subjects,” he said.
“There has been a shift since COVID, with parents now more willing to keep kids at home, or even to home-school them. These parents sometimes consider tutors in year 5 and 6 to prepare children for high school.”
National tutoring site KIS Academics chief-executive Nick Zagon said primary school students were increasingly being enrolled in private tutoring, to address core fundamentals and study habits young in preparation for high school.
Moody also voiced concerns this increased demand could lead to price-gouging.
A Facebook group dedicated to finding tutors in WA has nearly 12,000 members, with multiple posts per day asking for recommendations.
Many responses come from recent high school graduates who achieved high ATAR scores, offering help in subjects they did best in.
Prices ranged from $40 to $100 per hour. While many were happy to pay for an experienced teacher, there were complaints those recently out of school were charging more than $50 per hour.
“Parents pay it because the tutor got a high ATAR score and believe that is all it takes,” one member wrote.
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