Is it Time for Regulation in UK Tutoring?

For tutors worldwide, these really are interesting times. In some countries we have become the international panacea for educational disruption, displacement and disadvantage. In other countries, we have become the pariahs of the education sector, banned and forced underground.

In the UK, tutors have been recognised as the government's best bet for closing the disadvantage gap, with ￡1.5 billion set aside for placing private tutors in schools. This collision of the public and private sectors has disrupted the status quo and forced the profession to prepare for regulation, quality assurance and accountability.?

But part of the beauty of tutoring is that it isn’t hemmed in by layers of accountability measures. That’s what enables us to be so agile and available to students’ changing needs. How, then, do we quality-assure tutors without ruining tutoring?

Safe, Skilled and Supported

I've been working on this question for four years now, and it's been a very wonderful journey. I have interviewed tutors, parents, agencies, students, school leaders and policy makers. I have finally understood that what we need comes down to just three elements. In order to thrive, a tutor needs to be safe, skilled and supported.

Safe: Keeping ourselves and our students safe in education is our first responsibility as trusted adults. This should look like DBS police record checks, safeguarding training, and a robust code of conduct.??

Skilled:? Whether we are qualified teachers or not, ongoing CPD? is vital for keeping our pedagogical subject knowledge fresh.

Supported: Professional development communities, such as the Love Tutoring Community now exist where tutors can encourage and guide eachother to the benefit of all.

Who Can You Trust?

In a world where AirBnB and Uber are more trusted than politicians and professors, effective regulation of tutoring will not be a top-down process.?Parents, students and schools need an independent way to verify a tutor's credentials.

Qualified Tutor is an independent grass-roots movement of proactive tutoring professionals, opting-in to a safe, skilled, supported way of working. Thousands of tutors internationally have embraced our vision of 'raising standards in tutoring together'.

With the innovation of QT Digital Credentials on the Blockchain we are now able to verify the status of a Qualified Tutor. By participating in CPD and Ofqual Accredited courses, Community Learning, Skills Audits and 360 Tutor Reviews, tutors can showcase their commitment to excellence in tutoring.

Those of us who love tutoring are a diverse-looking crowd. But our hearts are aligned. Each in our own way, we are looking to raise up our students, our subject, ourselves.?

Let's not wait until regulation comes crashing down from above. Let's recognise safe, skilled and supported tutors with Qualified Tutor digital credentials today.