Economics of ETEC
Nov 8th, 2009 by Michele Brannon-Hamilton
Economics of Educational Technology
I must admit that I thought the unit on economics might be dry but I enjoyed Aurini & Davies’ article, The Transformation of Private Tutoring: Education in a Franchise Form. Not only was it straightforward but as a former tutor, it made sense to me. About 8 years ago, I started a private home tutoring business and was shocked by the demand for my services. I was one of only a few people in my Ontario city who was tutoring children in the basics of literacy. According to Aurini & Davies, I may have entered the tutoring field at the beginning of a new trend in private tutoring. Many parents hired tutors for their children and “50% of all Canadian parents claim they would hire a tutor if it was affordable” (Aurini & Davies, 2004, p.421).
Aurini’s article focuses on tutoring as a franchise business but it also touches on private tutoring. The article compares “shadow educators” (SE) who supplement education and “learning centres” (LC) who act as educational alternatives (Aurini & Davies, 2004, p.419). LC are now “hailed as a billion dollar industry” in North America with their focus on diverse learning skills instead of individualized subjects (Aurini & Davies, 2004).
In my current position as a Learning Skills Advisor, I can see the practical value of learning skills like time management, textbook reading and studying. Students of all ages will benefit from skills they can use in a variety of school subjects. LC franchisers sell services that teach these valuable skills which can account for their popularity.
References
Aurini, J. & Davies, S. (2004). The transformation of private tutoring: Education in a franchise form. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 29(3), 419-438.