"Parents worried": High demand for private tutoring due to teachers' strike

Despite 40% of Quebec schools being closed indefinitely, demand for private tutoring services is growing, which “exacerbates the inequalities” of the school network, a parent representative blamed.

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Over the past few weeks, the phones have been ringing louder than usual at many companies offering tutoring services, as the fear of an indefinite general strike has become more real.

“There were many parents who contacted us as soon as we started hearing about the strike, and others continue to call us now that we are talking about an indefinite strike. Many parents remember the effects of COVID on their children and do not want to relive the consequences they faced during the pandemic,” said Audrey Cloutier, director of Tutorax. Said.

Law 2 towards the company^e class, we expect the number of calls to increase by about 50%. “Parents are worried,” says its co-founder Marilo Gravel. Many people ask us if we can provide them with a lesson plan. We advise them to revise the most difficult concepts already in the class.

Listen to the interview with Bernard Drainville, Quebec Minister of Education via QUB Radio:

At Tutorat Pro, its president, Kelly-Anne Lapointe, suggests that because schools are closed, “parents are asking for an hour a day or a little more regular supervision every two days.”

The school’s director of success, Felix Morin, also noted a “significant increase in the last two weeks,” while stressing that the strike announcements also coincided with the delivery of the first report card.

All companies contacted indicated that they are still available for private tutoring, mainly provided by students.

Some teachers volunteered their services during the strike, but said no company was inundated with resumes.

An “unfair” situation on many fronts

The situation worries Sylvain Martel, a spokesman for the Regroupement des Committees d’Parents Nationaux du Quebec.

Private tutoring services are not available to all families, prices can vary from $35 to $55 an hour in the current case.

“It’s a great solution, but it’s not for everyone. We’re increasing the odds, that’s for sure,” he says.

The disparities are also geographical, as teachers represented by the Common Front said 60% of students in the province returned to class on Friday after a three-day strike.

The gaps are also reflected academically, as many students have yet to catch up to the delays caused by the pandemic. “The accumulation of delays is not negligible. We forget that before the pandemic there were students who were 84% in math, now they are at 62%. They will be fined,” he lamented.

Once again, students at private schools unaffected by the strikes have an advantage “already two steps ahead,” Mr. Martell said.

“Inequalities are likely to be even greater than during the pandemic. The pandemic has affected everyone,” he says.

For her part, Isabelle Plante, a professor at UQAM interested in inequality and academic achievement, wants to put the situation into perspective. “Summer vacations are more damaging than a few weeks of strike,” she said, pointing to the well-documented effects of the “summer slide” among students, especially those who are struggling.

However, if the dispute continues for more than three weeks, the delays will increase, Ms. Plante adds.

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