Some of the most lasting damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic has been to education. Thousands of pupils have missed vital stages in their schooling, have had examinations disrupted and have fallen at least a year behind.
The government proposed an ambitious National Tutoring Programme, and handed a £25 million, three-year contract to Randstad, a Dutch human resources company. It proved a fiasco. Beset by bureaucracy and incoherence, the deal was wisely cancelled by Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary.
The need is still urgent. And as one of its main recommendations, The Times Education Commission, has proposed a sensible, practical and inexpensive way to help. Undergraduates will be given incentives to tutor pupils who have fallen behind, creating an “army of student tutors” to inspire, mentor and help at least 100,000 pupils a year.
The students will earn credits towards their university degree, will gain experience in volunteering and will earn tutoring qualifications. The pupils will have mentors who themselves have only recently completed their schooling, who have a good knowledge of their subject and who will be able to inspire, listen and help.
There may be resistance from teaching unions, insisting that only career teachers have the skills to help pupils who have fallen behind. Already this self-serving protectionist attitude has been undermined by the best schools welcoming in volunteers. Administrators may also complain of the extra burden. Their quibbles should be ignored.
