Just as online banking was once viewed as a curious novelty before it became the norm, online tutoring now enjoys the imprimatur of the state. In the UK, the government's National Tutoring Programme (NTP) initiative exists to provide funding to primary and secondary schools, which they have the discretion to spend on targeted academic support, delivered by experienced externally sourced tutors. On 31st March 2022, the Department for Education simplified the scheme to increase the freedom of schools to spend the money where they identify the greatest need. This has fanned the flames of debate about the role of personal tuition services and encouraged widespread acceptance of this once relatively exclusive resource.
From a recent comprehensive survey, we learned that online tutoring is regarded favourably by a significant majority of teachers, tutors, parents and students. Nearly 75% of parents and teachers felt positive about its benefits, while 84% of pupils themselves gave it their strong endorsement, saying they found it to be at least as effective as - and often more beneficial than - in-person tutoring. All groups agreed that the three main benefits were flexibility in scheduling, the ability to search recordings of lessons and the more focused yet relaxed atmosphere it engenders.
As for the future, 95% of parents expect that some or all of their children's learning will be conducted online, while 98% of students say the same. Comparisons with pre-pandemic attitudes show a marked change of opinion. In 2019 online tutoring was an outlier in the education system, but since then, it has planted its flag firmly in the mainstream.
Online tutoring today goes far beyond the video-conferencing model of its early days. Students now benefit from the use of resources, including interactive whiteboards and artificial intelligence, which can transform tutors' words into transcripts that are ideal for revision and remove the uncertainty of traditional note-taking. We are witnessing a sea change in the thinking of students, parents and teachers, which is developing an acceptance of and alignment with the innovations of technology.
From the earliest known schools in Egypt 4,000 years ago to today's hybrid mix of classroom and online, education is a journey with no definitive end. The next chapter in its history is digital.