Final exams have already started across the Kingdom, along with a rush to look for available private tutors to either help students pass their courses or boost their grade point average. However, the student is left with two dilemmas: the price and the tutor. Sometimes though it will come down to trying out various tutors and seeing which one works best with the right price. For some students, a private tutor comes with the exam package. “Our class is huge and I can't concentrate on what the teacher says inside the poorly-organized classroom,” said high school student Rami Al-Lihaibi. “The classroom lacks good lighting and air-conditioning,” the student said. Lihaibi's big problem, however, is comprehension inside the classroom as his teachers only present the curriculum as it is without intellectually engaging the student in it, he said. “That is why I still look for a private tutor to ask all the questions that I have,” he said. Nasser Al-Harthi and his classmates shared the same concerns about intellectual engagement in the classroom. “Our teachers do not allow for critical interaction in the classroom,” he said. They even get angry when we ask them questions, he added. For Harthi and his friends, the most compelling motivation in selecting a private tutor is a positive referral. “First-hand experience is the best way to choose a tutor. If you get a good feedback from other students, then you are a winner,” he said. Many students have abandoned their classrooms as they do not find them encouraging and engaging enough, Harthi said. “Why bother if the classroom is like this. When it is time for the exam, the private tutor is the way to go,” he added. But what about the cost? It could cost as much as SR5,000 for one-on-one home private tutoring for a package deal. The price is a little cheaper if the student goes to the tutor's home. Each course costs between SR500 and SR800 a week, depending on the teacher's experience and qualifications. But not all students want to have a private tutor. Ibrahim Sundoukji, a high school student, said that private tutoring creates a sense of dependency, which students need to avoid early in their school career. Private tutor Abu Muhammad, an Arabic language teacher, said, “In only the week preceding the exam, I cover the whole Arabic curriculum for my students.” He said he knows what they need to study for the exam which makes his business more lucrative, especially with providing small classes for five students. Teachers believe that what drives the business of private tutoring is the need for higher grades in high school to allow students to join the college of their choice. “Some private tutors with experience can easily predict the exam questions,” said Khaled Al-Farhan, a teacher in Shatbi School in Madina. Private tutoring has a disadvantage, however, said Bandar Al-Turjimi, a schoolteacher at Mahd School in Madina. “It does not reflect the true achievements of students at the end of the semester,” he said. It creates a whole generation that is dependent on tutoring, encouraging them to abandon the classroom.
