Private tutoring in Afghanistan: the role of private tutoring in the Konkor Exam

Abstract

Private tutoring has become a widespread phenomenon across the world countries including Afghanistan. It is commonly provided to prepare students in Afghanistan for the Konkor exam which is the national entrance exam to public universities. However, there is a handful of studies conducted on this matter. This paper entitled “Private Tutoring in Afghanistan: The Role of Private Tutoring in the Konkor exam” employed a qualitative method to gather data from the stakeholders. Stakeholders here referred to students, teachers and parents. This paper follows two aims, understanding the perceptions of the stakeholders regarding private tuition and the role it plays in preparing students for the Konkor exam. The data for this study has been gathered through four online one-to-one interviews with teachers and three online FGDs (Focus group discussions) with students and parents. The findings of this study reveal that the stakeholders perceive private tuition from different dimensions including economic, social and academic. Generally, they show a positive viewpoint such as supporting school lessons, preparing students for the exam and encouraging students. They also perceive that private tutoring plays a significant role in student’s preparation for Konkor exam which is very crucial for the student’s further study. However, they also mention some drawbacks such as creating disparity and causing health issues for students and burdening low income families. It is recommended that quality of school education should be improved so that students’ dependency on private education decrease. Additionally, more studies on private tutoring especially on private tuition status at the present time should be conducted so that a clear picture of private tutoring in Afghanistan can be illustrated.