Non-Formal Parallel Education: An Analysis of the Private Tutoring Phenomenon and Its Implications for the Educational System

Abstract

The phenomenon of private tutoring has become one of the most prominent features of contemporary educational reality, witnessing widespread growth in recent years due to successive educational reforms characterized by a lack of precise scientific planning. This situation has resulted in a genuine crisis reflected in the decline of learners’ and their parents’ trust in formal schools, prompting all stakeholders in the educational process—teachers and students alike—to seek compensatory alternatives. Private tutoring has emerged as the available solution to meet these needs, with students and their parents perceiving it as an essential means to ensure academic achievement, while teachers view it as an additional channel to improve their income.

The increasing reliance on this form of parallel education raises several issues, foremost among them being the retreat of schools from their core function in socialization, transferring this responsibility to non-formal institutions that may instill value systems not necessarily aligned with national educational objectives. Moreover, teachers’ pursuit of financial gains at the expense of their educational mission undermines the school’s role as a developmental institution and puts professional credibility at stake. This situation raises serious questions regarding why teachers, even those with stable positions, resort to private tutoring as a strategy to supplement their income.

In summary, the private tutoring phenomenon did not emerge in isolation from the educational and social context; rather, it resulted from the interaction of multiple interrelated factors. Individual student motivations, insufficient teacher training, deficiencies in curricula and educational programs, and shortcomings in assessment systems have all contributed to the entrenchment of this phenomenon, particularly among students in final-year classes. Families and modern media have also played a direct or indirect role in its proliferation. Consequently, this phenomenon reflects structural shortcomings in both the educational system and the broader social environment, necessitating in-depth analysis of its implications and the development of mitigation strategies.

Based on the current study of this phenomenon and its effects on both schools and teachers, a set of practical recommendations has been proposed to help limit its expansion and reduce its negative consequences. Key recommendations include enhancing the quality of teacher training by equipping them with effective skills and strategies for managing educational situations, rethinking the philosophy of education as a societal project aimed at human development, directing administrative efforts toward serving learners through an appropriate learning environment, addressing overcrowding and heavy curricula, and revising and developing curricula in line with labor market requirements. Additionally, the study calls for the implementation of legal regulations for private tutoring centers, improving teachers’ financial conditions and linking their promotion to students’ academic performance, as well as developing a fair and objective assessment and examination system.