RIYADH, 23 September 2004 — The demand for private tutors has increased after the Ministry of Education introduced English in the sixth grade as of this academic year. Advertisements for tutors have appeared on the notice boards of shopping malls and on the walls of bookshops all over Riyadh.
Foreign tutors are very active in giving private lessons, in addition to other expatriates who have a teaching degree but are working in a different field.
A teacher from an Arab country told Al-Eqtisadiah that the demand for tutors tends to increase before class tests start. He said most students consider English as a difficult subject requiring extra help to pass the examination. He said he had received many tuition offers from families in the past few days.
The tuition fee for English tutors ranges from SR1,000 to SR1,500. With their demand going up in the market, tutors are said to be planning to hike the fee by 25 percent.
Sultan Al-Humaid, a parent, expressed his fear that his son may not pass the subject. He said as a precautionary measure, he taught his children throughout the summer basics of English language.
A teacher said that fear of English language is normal because it is new to elementary schoolchildren. He said it was a passing phase.
