The study revealed gaps in the knowledge of Russian high school students

A study conducted by a recruiting agency among three thousand parents of schoolchildren in different parts of the Russian Federation is pushing to unexpected conclusions. In the upper grades, half of the students have tutors in one or more subjects – their number is significantly higher than in all previous years. Moreover, the OGE at the end of the 9th grade in this sense is in no way inferior to the USE. And another third of the respondents prepare for exams “very early” and hire tutors in the 7th-8th grades. There are those who invite “outside help” in middle or even elementary school. The average family price tag for tutors is 3-5 thousand rubles a week.

Researchers have calculated that children are “pulled” to the OGE now even more often than in high school. The presence of tutors was reported by 51% of parents of 9th graders and 48% of families of 10th-11th grade students. 27% of students in grades 7-8 also have tutors. And not a single exam: private traders are called to help if they want to improve academic performance, prepare for a VPR, control, project or olympiad. But sometimes a visiting teacher just does all the lessons with a modern “mitrofanushka”.

Most often, tutors are looking for, of course, for basic mathematics and Russian, which are required for the Unified State Examination. Further in the hit parade – English, physics, chemistry and social studies. Everyone wants free English, so tutoring in this subject is the “youngest”: many families start additional classes from grades 1-4. The rest is probably the influence of the USE. Few hours are allotted for chemistry at school, but without this exam you will not enter medical, biotechnology and a number of other popular specialties. Physics is needed in all engineering and technical universities. Social science is popular as the easiest additional subject in demand in legal, economic, and humanitarian areas. In general, when “dragging” in high school, algebra and geometry “rule”. And, oddly enough, the native language for the majority is Russian.

According to the study, the frequency of tutoring and the funds spent on it have grown strongly since 2021. Two years ago, 34% of the parents surveyed invited tutors to 9th graders, and 43% to 10th-11th graders. The price of the issue has also increased. Today, in secondary school, parents spend 3,000 rubles a week on “bonnies and tutors”, in grades 7-9 – almost 4,000. The invoice remains preparation for the exam: the average expense is 5 thousand per week. The average increase in family spending on tutors for schoolchildren amounted to 40% over two years.

“The demand for preparation for the 9th grade has outpaced the preparation for the Unified State Examination,” says statistician Pavel Kruglov. “It’s new, it’s always been the other way around. But the choice of parents is reflected in the numbers of admissions: after the pandemic, 20-40% more students began to enter secondary schools than before 2019. Apparently, people are either afraid to get involved with the Unified State Examination, or they choose the good old diploma competition as more understandable. Someone consciously goes to a specialized secondary school so that they have a profession in their hands, others – with an eye on a specialized university in the future.

I can’t say how much worse education has become, since there is so much tutoring. However, according to surveys, the attitude to the choice of study and further profession has become more rational. The tradition of “if only the crust” is forgotten, it’s just that few people follow in the footsteps of their parents. People choose popular specialties, study vacancies and requirements of companies in advance. Weigh their financial capabilities and hit one point. The bulk of the struggle is not for knowledge, but seeks to comply with the rules of the game. Including those that are now in education.

About why the once so rare phenomenon of private tutoring, common among gold medalists and “mother’s geniuses”, covered half the country, “MK” talked with a teacher with 40 years of experience.

— I think there are several reasons why people hire tutors. The main thing is the school program. The number and quality of watches do not meet the requirements for the same physics, for example. There are a lot of topics, hours and material in general are catastrophically small. The volume of knowledge that needs to be told is growing, but the hours are no longer, on the contrary. What else would I note, because it is clear: the number of children with attention deficit, hyperactivity and some other neurology has increased. They have a hard time in school. With such children, they often turn to me in class 6-7, and when you start studying, there are just huge gaps: the multiplication table, the transition through 10, mental counting …

– Maybe it’s also some kind of fashion – to take a tutor?

– No. Parents and students formulate the tasks very clearly: raise the level, prepare for the OGE or the Unified State Examination, analyze the tasks for the VPR, help with some topics, sections. Sometimes it is easy to overcome the fear of an object or dislike for it. Alas, it happens that the school inspires a persistent rejection of the same mathematics … Maybe back in the “zero” years there were cases when they took a tutor to clear their conscience, because parents are all in business, and there is no time. But not now. Everything is very clear, aimed at the result.

– So, half of the graduates with tutors is the fault of the school?

— What fault, I can not say. Working as a teacher in a school is especially difficult these days. The outflow of young people into the same tutoring or related areas is very noticeable. Someone else is trying to combine, someone is only preparing for the Unified State Examination or only “leads” by a hundred points … But in general, of course, “something is unfinished” at school. It is declared that the basics are given in the class, and we are already mastering the advanced level. But in fact, there is no base. This is evidenced by at least the number of students in grades 8-9 who are preparing for the OGE with tutors. A million torments around VPRs, control, checks … And you start to deal with a person – and you wonder what is there. Sometimes real knowledge is just zero!