Utkarsh Misra and Tripta Trivedi
University of Lucknow, Lucknow
Pagese, 199-208
The rise of private tutoring, also termed as Shadow Education in the literature, has
become a defining feature of contemporary education systems. The purpose of this
study was to investigate how school students’ perceptions of the value and necessity
of private tutoring differ with different grades. For this, cross sectional qualitative data
was collected through semi-structured informal group interviews from nine students,
three each from preparatory, middle and secondary stages selected through purposive
sampling and coded to describe, compare and comprehend their perceptions and
experiences of private tutoring. The findings describe the changing relationship of private
tutoring with formal schools from support in lower grades to competing formal schooling
in higher grades. The findings also highlight the gradual decline in perceived importance
of school and challenges formal education faces from private tuitions. By understanding
these evolving perspectives, educators and policymakers can gain valuable insights
into the role of private tutoring in the Indian education landscape and develop strategies
to optimise its benefits while mitigating the potential drawbacks