Private tutoring specialist supports EY in disregarding academic results given decline in academic standards

Private tutoring specialist supports EY in disregarding academic results given decline in academic standards

Founder of private tuition agency, Tutors International, today released a statement in support of EY’s news they are no longer taking A-levels and university qualifications into account when hiring.

Private tutoring specialist, Adam Caller, who founded Tutors International in 1999, today released a statement that responded to the recent news by global accountancy firm, EY, that it will be scrapping the requirement for applicants to have a minimum 2:1 degree pass or Ucas point score of 300 (the equivalent of three B grades at A-level). [1]

“The EY problem is a serious problem. The UK’s children are not getting cleverer, teaching is not improving at either state or independent level, and schools are not better resourced. The reason why passes and grades have improved year on year is that the exams got easier.”

Mr Caller reasons that if exam results are no longer a good indicator of someone’s ability in a given area, it’s only appropriate that businesses set their own bar: “As a schoolteacher, I was using notes from my own 1982 O-Level physics course to teach A-Level. There was already a three-year gap in standards in 1997 compared with when I did my O-Levels in 1982, and it’s been declining for some 20 years after that. In my experience as a recruiter, I find it’s getting harder and harder to find people who can do the things that they have received qualifications for. So I’m not surprised that EY has set its own bar, and I only wish that it were not necessary.“

Keen to point out that this was no fault of the students, Mr Caller explained that one of the things private tutors at Tutors International work hard to provide, and which is far easier in a 1:1 or 1:2 setting than in school, is ensuring students have a far deeper understanding of each subject, as well as a broader education in general.

With schools pushing students towards their exams, and with less actual teaching time available than for privately tutored pupils, schools are focused on a limited range of topics, at a ‘just good enough’ level to get students to pass their exams, according to Mr Caller.

Our tutors can cover as much of the curriculum in a couple of hours as schools can in a whole day, which leaves just as much time to ensure the child has a full and deep grasp of the topic, for exploring around the subject and how things relate to one another, and for experiential learning. Put this child, with their deeper, broader education, against one with the same qualifications who went to school, and you’ll see the differences immediately. It’s not the pupil, it’s the quality of teaching.”

“Their decision is a good thing from a social mobility perspective. If the test is designed to identify innate qualities such as “potential to succeed”, then those from all backgrounds should have an even chance of doing well,” Mr Caller concluded.

More information about engaging a full-time private tutor can be found at www.tutors-international.com.

References

[1] “EY: Firm says it will not longer consider degrees or A-level results when assessing employees”, Richard Garner, 3 August 2015. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/ey-firm-says-it-will-not-longer-consider-degrees-or-alevel-results-when-assessing-employees-10436355.html

  • Tutors International provides an unparalleled tutoring service that matches the right tutor with the right child, in order for the student to fully reach their personal potential and academic excellence.
  • Providing a service for children of all ages at different points in their educational journeys, Tutors International is a reputable tutoring company founded on a commitment to finding the perfect tutor to realise the specific goals and aspirations of each student.
  • Private Tutors are available for residential full-time positions, after-school assistance, and homeschooling.
  • Founded in 1999 by Adam Caller, Tutors International is a private company based in Oxford, a city renowned for academic excellence. Our select clientele receives a personally tailored service, with discretion and confidentiality guaranteed.

Contact Us

If you would like a Tutor, please fill in this form and we will be in touch as soon as possible to discuss your requirements in detail.

Alternatively, you can reach us by calling +44 1865 435 135.

If you are a tutor, please go to our tutor site.

Your Tutoring Requirements

We know that the cost of our services might be beyond your means. If this is the case, we recommend that you explore other options.

Information sent to Tutors International is never passed on to third parties. For details, see our Privacy Policy.