Secondary schools recommend commercial tutoring agencies.

Secondary schools recommend commercial tutoring agencies.

More than a quarter of parents of children in secondary school say the school cooperates with or recommends a commercial tutoring agency. Education minister Mariëlle Paul is against this because it causes inequality of opportunity.

Paid tutoring causes inequality of opportunity because not all parents can pay for it. The Ministry of Education has therefore previously set guidelines stating that schools may not advertise commercial tutoring agencies. Additional education should only come from and be at school, the minister said earlier.

Schools still cooperate with tutoring agencies

Despite causing inequality, schools still recommend or cooperate with commercial tutoring agencies. This is shown by research from Ouders & Onderwijs and EenVandaag among over 2700 parents. A quarter (27 percent) of these parents say their child’s secondary school does this. One fifth (18 percent) is not sure if this happens. “At the open day, professional (and expensive) homework support was already mentioned,” a parent says.

It is not only secondary schools that recommend commercial tutoring agencies. 7 percent of parents of children in primary school say the school cooperates with or recommends a private organization.

Tutoring costs hundreds of euros per month

Especially parents with higher incomes say their child gets tutoring through a commercial agency. These agencies have a price tag. More than a third (36 percent) of parents who give their child tutoring spend at least 100 euros per month on it. Eleven percent even pay at least 250 euros per month for extra lessons.

Tutoring for primary school pupils is also expensive. Three out of ten (31 percent) parents who had tutoring last year spend at least 100 euros per month, and one out of ten spends at least 200 euros.

Many parents cannot afford expensive tutoring

The hourly rates of tutoring agencies sometimes rise to 60 euros per hour. Many parents have no money for this. “I am a single mother,” a parent says. “I cannot pay. I would have to choose between tutoring and going on holiday.”

There are more parents like this. Almost 1 in 10 (8 percent) parents of children who do not currently get tutoring say their child actually needs it but they cannot afford it. One parent explains: “The tutoring agency had a long waiting list and charges 50 euros per hour. I cannot pay 200 euros per month. I did not do VWO, so I cannot help him myself.”

Free tutoring at every school

This inequality is what education bodies, and thus the Ministry of Education, are worried about. Many parents find the current tutoring system unfair. Most (59 percent) agree with the minister that schools should not recommend paid tutoring. “If your child needs tutoring, it should be possible for everyone to get it, regardless of financial situation. For example, through subsidies or cost contributions. Now it is only possible if you have rich parents,” a parent says.

Two thirds (67 percent) of parents think that every school should offer free tutoring, even if more tax money has to go to education. Especially parents with lower incomes support free tutoring, but the differences between these two groups are small.

Education falls short

Four out of 10 parents (40 percent) say they are willing to pay more to school if tutoring becomes accessible for everyone. But it is unclear how much this helps, because according to parents the real problem is deeper.

The fact that so many children get tutoring shows, according to a broad majority (75 percent), that education in the Netherlands falls short. Parents say their children need extra guidance because teachers do not explain the material well, many lessons are cancelled, and classes are too full. “The school has let us down and expects us to fill gaps with commercial tutoring. This should not be allowed in the Netherlands. I am quite angry about this,” a parent says.

About the research

The research was done between 31 January and 26 February 2024. A total of 2,716 parents with children in primary and/or secondary school participated. 409 parents have a child in primary school who now has or had tutoring in the past year, 588 parents have a child in secondary school who now has or had tutoring in the past year. The research was sent to parents in the EenVandaag Opinion Panel and distributed by information point Ouders & Onderwijs to their audience.

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