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Robson is less than effusive about her time tutoring. "Perpetuating the system of privilege really stuck in my throat. After all, you're just helping the kids who've got the most money. In my darker moments, I felt the only thing Oxford had prepared me for was to train other people to go to Oxford."As with many, tutoring was only ever intended as a stop gap for Robson. But while she's since moved into media, many graduates inadvertently remain tutors for far longer than they expect. Glamorous destinations, Gulfstream jets, inter-family bidding wars, and City-level salaries make it increasingly appealing.READ ON VICE SPORTS: Inside the Great Wall of China Marathon
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So, what is driving the recent growth of the tutoring industry? All of the main tutoring agencies in Britain primarily cater for private school education. To name just a few, Bonas McFarlane, Titanium Tutors, and Keystone Tutors all cater for 7/8+ prep school exams and 11+ exams for "the most prestigious private schools" and the highest ranked universities. If you want to get your boy sprogs into Eton, Harrow, Winchester, or Westminster and your girl sprogs into Wycombe Abbey, St Paul's, or Cheltenham Ladies, you're hardly going to go it alone.For this very reason, many agencies provide exorbitant consultancy services that advise parents on every single stage of the application process. As Bonas McFarlane readily explain on their website, "Our consultants are in touch daily with the leading UK independent schools. We have a team of administrators who know the different and precise procedures of each institution—from registration deadlines to testing requirements." If this wasn't enough, Bonas McFarlane also provide, "School Liason: We consult and negotiate with schools, at times making detailed personal recommendations to these selected schools." It seems that the name of your university and the color of your blood counts for a lot more than the class of your degree, teaching qualification, or specialist experience. As such, the "shadow education sector" lacks industry regulation and a standards body.Not that this is likely to put off the increasing number of Russians, Saudis, Chinese, and others from overseas who are looking to buy their way into the British private school system. Who better to help your Kazakh billionaire child get into Eton than a helicoptered-in former Bullingdon member?It goes without saying that private tuition creates and exacerbates social inequality. Not only does it distort and undervalue the state curriculum, it exhausts human capital and financial resources that could be invested in those who need it. In a culture cursed by obsessive aspiration, most super tutors work to keep the rich rich and the poor poor—but in spite of this, private tuition remains a relatively invisible and overlooked force in a polarized education sector.*Ruby Robson is a pseudonym.Follow Maya on Twitter.