21st November 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
When they are hired to coach students through exams, private tutors often look for guides and teaching materials that will enable them to get their students the highest marks. Tutors generally come equipped with knowledge of the exam syllabus and the mark scheme, and have a good idea of what kind of answers will attract the highest marks. However, in recent years exam boards have begun to produce their own guides to passing their exams.
These guides are often very closely linked to the style of questions that will appear on their board’s exams, and detail the kinds of answers that are required. For a private tutor making the decision as to how to consolidate a student’s exam preparation, it can be difficult to decide how far to follow these specific guides, and how far to encourage a student’s general education in the subject.
This week Ofqual has criticised exam boards for the publication of these guides, saying that undue pressure is put on schools to buy text books that specifically related to one board’s exam. Schools and students who cannot afford these guides are put at a distinct disadvantage. Further, the benefit of a private tutor is that the student can explore their subject in more detail, gaining a more sophisticated approach to the subject than is offered by the board’s narrow guides. Tutors are now in the position of having to choose whether to teach their subjects in an individual way which will inspire their students but risk their students missing out on marks, or stick to the board’s guides which will tick the boxes but provide a narrow education.