engleski

Private tutoring and social equity in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina : a comparative qualitative study

Empirical evidence from various social and educational contexts suggests that private tutoring (PT) services are more accessible to pupils from families of higher socio-economic status. This, in turn, might reflect and/or exacerbate both social and educational inequalities, an outcome that has been shown through previous research in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. The present paper aims to explore educational stakeholders’ perspectives on the differences in patterns of PT use by pupils from different socio-economic backgrounds. Secondly, it aims to explore the relevance educational stakeholders assign to the issue of social equity related to PT and their willingness and capacity to address this issue. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups with selected educational stakeholders. Criterion and purposive sampling were used to identify educational stakeholders from governmental, political, professional, parental, educational, media and academic spheres. The findings indicate that, in both countries, social equity issues associated with PT are mainly related to differences in the quality, frequency, continuity and purpose of PT services. Issues of social equity, as they relate to PT, emerged as a marginal issue. In addition, the findings from both countries indicate a lack of readiness and ability amongst educational stakeholders to adequately deal with and address the issue. The findings also revealed a substantial homogeneity of perspectives between and within both countries.

private tutoring, equity issues, access to PT, affordability of PT

nije evidentirano