24th April 2015 8:00
By Blue Tutors
One thing that private tutors discover during the course of their careers is that their students often look to them for guidance and advice about broader issues than those contained within the subject they are studying. Indeed, this is one of the reasons many parents cite for hiring a tutor; not only can a tutor help with a particular subject, but they can broaden a student’s world view and provide them with new perspectives other than those of their parents and teachers. The question of how far a tutor should allow their own views to influence their students is one that most tutors have to consider at some point, and there is no fixed guideline to speak of. Some tutors believe firmly that their role is to teach a particular subject, and do not attempt to engage students on broader issues to do with their schooling, families or politics. But many others find that in the course of providing long term private tuition in particular, discussing these broader issues is unavoidable.
There are some broader topics which are likely to come up when tutoring students, and education is a particularly likely topic of discussion. Tutors and students are likely to discuss both preparation for exams and the nature of exams themselves, covering their purpose and validity. Many students have become increasingly disillusioned with the exam system, having to take retakes in which their results seem to vary widely, or reading newspaper headlines about how useful their qualifications really are. Tutors do their best to prepare students for exams, but many may also choose to be candid in addressing students’ concerns about exams, acknowledging them in part as a box-ticking exercise which may not necessarily reflect students’ ability.
Where students are interested in the broader aspects of their education a discussion of politics and education policy may arise, particularly in the run up to the general election. Tutors with A Level students who have hit the age where they are able to vote for the first time may well have to field questions from students about education policy and voting. In the past, many young people have chosen to vote the same way as their parents, but today students are facing unique issues which affect their immediate futures. University tuition fees is a key issue for them to consider, along with policies about higher education funding more broadly, and employment and housing for young people. These are issues which tutors should be prepared to discuss with their students. Whilst it is not the place of tutors to tell students what to think, they should be prepared to offer their opinions and act as a sounding board for students’ concerns.