But Did It Help You Get To University?

A Qualitative Study of Supplemental Education in Western Australia

Martin ForseyAnthropology & Sociology

The University of Western Australia

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Increasing Use of SE

• Watson (2008)– average household expenditure on children’s

education 3.98% 1998/99 4.88% in 2003/04

• Kenny & Faunce (2004)– Sydney coaching “colleges” – 60 in 1989 to 222 in 2002

• Pate (2008) [also Bond (2009)]– Community Learning Support Programs – 1,300 participants in Melbourne

Increasing Use of SE• An Even Start (2008-2009) Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2010).

• $AU 457.4 million over four years. • Targeting year 3, 5 or 7 students not meeting 2007

national literacy/numeracy benchmarks • $700 of tuition for eligible students (a minimum of 12

hours). • 87,057 students “assisted” • Currently suspended pending a review

Public Private Divide

• Federation• Education state administered• Public System – 66% of enrolments• Catholic Education – 20% of enrolments• “Independent” Schools – 14% of enrolments• Non-government schools as shadow

education?

Supplemental Education

‘Outside-school learning activities paralleling features of formal schooling used by students to increase their own educational opportunities’ (Baker et al 2001:2)

Yellow Pages in Western Australia – 135 Entries– ‘Academic Angels’, ‘Lighthouse

Education Centre’, ‘Progressive Home Tutors’, ‘Kinetic Education’, ‘Green Light Education’, ‘Head Start Tutoring’

– ‘Top Tots Early Learning Development Centre’, ‘Early Intervention Tutoring’

– Judith Crossland Academy and Tania’s Tutoring Service

– Franchises – eg Kumon, Kip McGrath Education Centres, Reading for Sure

Supplemental Education in Australia

Centre of Activity

Main Forms of Organisation

Market 1. Cottage industry2. Small business3. Multi-national corporation

School 1. After school classes2. Structured courses

Community 1. Voluntary organisations2. Private-government partnerships

Market-Based SE

• Kenny & Faunce (2004)• Private girls school, Sydney• Survey and academic results• Academic coaching in English, Mathematics or

Science generally ineffective, particularly for older students

• Students tutored in English tended to fare worse in examinations than their un-tutored counterparts.

In A Remote Corner of the Universe

Perth

Overwhelmingly Central

Ten Interviews

Nine Here

One Here

The Interviews

• Education success stories – students who matriculated

• Silivona, Bray and Zabulionis (2006) – first year university students – twin assumption

• the school experience of such students was recent enough for accurate recall

• that they would be more objective and outspoken.

Ten InterviewsSix – First Year Anthropology StudentsFour – Karratha Education Initiative

• Semi-structured• Practice focused – structured, cultured agents• Did it help you get to uni?

– Effectiveness of SE– SE and Educational Inequalities

• Written portraits – – not wrenching research subjects out of their social

context – summarising significant amounts of interview

transcripts into readable, vibrant stories

Rural-Urban Divides

• Perceptions (and realities) of under-achievement relative to Urban counterparts

• Socioeconomic causes• Karratha as exception• Significance of cultural rather than economic

capital

Karratha

1535 kms

Perth

The North West Shelf VentureThe North West Shelf Venture

Woodside operates the NWSV on behalf of the Woodside operates the NWSV on behalf of the Participants (BHPB, BP, Chevron, MIMI, Shell and Participants (BHPB, BP, Chevron, MIMI, Shell and Woodside).Woodside).

NWSV is a high value export and royalty earner for NWSV is a high value export and royalty earner for Australia, based in a remote part of WA.Australia, based in a remote part of WA.

1% of Australia’s gross domestic product comes 1% of Australia’s gross domestic product comes from the gas plant.from the gas plant.

Educational Challenges

• Staffing• Advantages of formal education in a “boom

town”?• Educational flight

Karratha Education Initiative

• Funded by NWS Venture• Expanding educational options for students in

Karratha (high school)• Increasing retention to Year 12• Increasing Graduation Rates• Increasing Performance in University Entrance

Exams (TEE)• Increasing university enrolments

The Sample

• John and Julie’s Stories

Closing thoughts

Julie – maths didn’t count in the end but…

“Just keeping up, was better than the stress of not being able to keep up and not doing that well. And you never know what is going to be counted in the end, which is a trick of the system”.

John – can’t really measure it but…

“In reality I think I could have done the same thing if left to study on my own because it was work on my part that got me to where I have come now”

Is it Effective and Does it Increase Educational Inequality?

• School statistics• Liberal fantasy or realistic assessment?• Ineffectual tutors• Unmotivated students• Effective but didn’t really help• Emotional effects• Redressing the balance – government, school and

community programs• Academic coaching uneven in its effects

A Conclusion

“Yet again the market shows itself to be less efficient than some hope it to be and others might fear that it is”.