Why I Don’t Need Private Tuition?

Abstract

The study attempts to assess the way choice of the stream (Science, Commerce and Humanities) influences the demand for private tutoring among senior secondary school students. This paper also explores the reasons for seeking private tuition. Results draw out why students of some streams do not go for private tuition while private tuition has become a necessity for students in other streams. Data is collected from 150 participants to assess the nature of private tutoring. Student interviews from different streams were conducted to determine the reasons behind attending private tuition. The findings reveal a huge demand for private tuition among science and commerce students. On the other hand, negligible demand for tutoring among humanities students was found. Highly competitive examinations as the selection criteria for admission to institutes of higher education and complex as well as lengthy syllabi in the science stream came out as important factors for the high prevalence of tutoring among science stream participants. Apart from this, parents’ influence, social trends, and achievements of seniors and elders are also reasons for the steep difference in tutoring rates among participants of the science and humanities stream.