29 percent of Tirol students received tutoring

Nearly three in ten students in Tirol received paid or unpaid tutoring during the last school year, according to monitoring results reported by ORF. Including students who needed tutoring but did not receive it, the overall demand rose to 31 percent, or around 27,000 children and young people.

The previous year, total demand stood at 29 percent, representing about 24,000 students.

Parents in Tirol spent an average of 670 euros per student on tutoring last year, for a total of 9.3 million euros. The need for paid tutoring increased slightly from 14 percent to 16 percent. Students most often sought tutoring before tests and written exams.

Mathematics remained the most common subject, followed by German and foreign languages. Families often used external tutoring to improve grades or avoid examinations. Parents also reported that some children did not understand the material in class, increasing the need for additional support.

More than one-third of students used free remedial instruction, with middle school students benefiting particularly often. However, some schools did not offer enough support, putting additional pressure on many families.

Erwin Zangerl, president of AK Tirol, criticised what he described as the dependence of educational opportunities on parents’ resources. He called for more staff and additional support services for families. AK Tirol offers assistance through programmes including Sommerschule Plus.