# Introduction rivate tutoring has become full-blown in the last few decades not only in the Algerian educational system but almost all third world countries. This phenomenon has increased among pupils at all educational levels due to academic inadequacies following the new reforms and other reasons. Henceforth, it has turned into a duty of the parents to send their children to private tutoring to further lectures and practice. Although the spread of private education has triggered the interests of academicians and experts in the field of teaching, no decision is taken until now to change the pupils' attitudes that public education is important, whereas private tutoring is conducted for private purposes (economic purpose), the phenomenon is still existing due to the negative attitudes displaced towards the Algerian educational system that has become ineffective even though there have been tremendous efforts to improve it. In the twilight of what is mentioned before, the spindle aim behind the research work under scrutiny is to explore the reasons behind changing the attitudes of pupils and their parents towards favoring private tutoring in public education promoted by the government with free charges. Secondly, it strives to examine the level of performance of the tutees after being trained through shadow education. In this regard, the researcher tries to find out solutions for the following research questions: 1. What are the attitudes of Algerian pupils towards private tutoring? 2. What are the reasons that drive them to prefer supplementary private tutoring on public education? 3. Can private tutoring raise the pupils' academic achievement? Accordingly, the following hypotheses sprang as follows: Algerian pupils displaced positive attitudes towards private tutoring thinking that public schools are no longer efficient. 1. The reasons revolve around overcrowded classrooms, the low salary of teachers and poor teaching. 2. Private tutoring may improve the pupils' academic achievements if it follows an appropriate pedagogy in teaching. Hence, the importance of the present study is to find out some solutions to raise the learners' awareness towards the negative impact of private tutoring. # II. # Review of the Related Literature As it is mentioned before, private tutoring is also called shadow education. Indeed, this title has been employed as a metaphor to show the other side of this type of schooling as stated by Marimuthu et al. (1991). Although experts in the field of education proclaimed that private tutoring has spread in the last decades especially in third world countries due to the inferior level of teaching, there are still few types of research conducted in the field. In his part, Biswal (1990) claims that the first reason for the spread of private tutoring or coaching is the low income of teachers that drive them to create a market for private education. On the side of pupils, they find that these lectures provide them with more help and support. Among the scholars who explored this topic, there is Bray (2003Bray ( , 2007Bray ( & 2009)). He comes across the point that it is difficult to evaluate this system of education since it has been conducted in informal contexts. Another shadowing point on the subject is that most teachers do not want to declare that they are providing private lectures on a given field of research. Most importantly, some studies conducted highlighted that there is no evidence to show that this form of education increases the learners' performance and realizes a positive achievement. In his part, Bray (2007) aptly declares that the interests of teachers in searching for another source of income can decrease the quality of their teaching in public education. Accordingly, Bray further highlights that the passive effects of private tutoring pass even to the pupils who are belonging to indigent social status and cannot pay extra-sessions due to the fact the teaching quality of the public schools is diminishing because education has entered the market. # III. Private Tutoring in Algeria: An Overview The majority of the learners and their parents displace positive attitudes towards private tutoring due to the point that they develop negative attitudes towards the weak level of teaching in public schools. Therefore, they hasten to register in private sessions thinking that they improve their performance and help them to achieve perfect academic results. Actually, there have been intensive debates on the status of the Algerian school in general, especially after the inclusion of new reforms in the educational system; thenceforth, this has raised many controversies about the quality of teaching in the public school in addition to the low income of most teachers in all grades mainly primary, middle and secondary education. In the light of this idea, Bray (2007) mentions that private tutoring is so widespread in countries where teachers who earn a low salary; consequently, those teachers encourage their students to have extra-sessions out of school. In this regard, he writes the following: The economic circumstances of mainstream teachers may be an important educational factor driving the demand for private tutoring. In some countries, teachers are paid so poorly that their families would be unable to subsist it they had to depend on official salaries. (p. 34) Although extra-sessions in private tutoring classes are too expensive since the pupil is going to take them in all modules including mathematics, natural sciences, physics and even in philosophy, Arabic language, and foreign languages especially English. Even though private tutoring has raised debates between experts internationally, Algerian pupils and their parents are still sharing positive attitudes towards having extra-lectures, hoping that this may increase their academic achievement and work in national examination and even providing them with the opportunity of getting better jobs in the future. In the light of this point of view, Mogaka (2009) asserts that: Using PST services is a form of investment that will guarantee them better careers and more rewarding jobs in the future. Indeed globally for one to be competitive in the job market one must be armed with quality academic credentials in the field of specialization. (p. 34) Of course, the economic factor is not the only motive that pushes the Algerian pupils to prefer shadow education; in fact, parents sometimes see that it is a prestige for their children to attend private sessions especially those who are always looking after their social status in society and considering education as the first form of social leverage. Even though this issue is tackled by newspapers and mentioned the negative aspects of private tutoring, a little is written on the subject, and no efficient scholarship is provided. IV. # Research Methodology and Design Data were collected quantitatively and qualitatively using a questionnaire which was distributed to pupils and gathered during the second semester of the academic year 2016-2017; in addition to an interview which was held during the third semester, while classroom observation had been conducted during the whole year. The researcher attended each class for one session per week. The sample for the study was selected randomly from Mohamed Belkheir secondary school in Saida. The researcher chose about 80 pupils from the three levels for the questionnaire; besides, ten teachers were picked up for the interview and a classroom observation was conducted with three classes; two classes in Mohamed Belkheir and a tutoring class. V. # Data Preparation and Analysis a) Results of the Questionnaire The questionnaire, which had been given to the pupils of the three grades, contains three sections which had been built on closed and open-ended questions. Although the latter conducted in English, the researcher tried to translate the questions for the pupils who did not understand English very well. In here, the researcher took the most eminent questions that have a direct link with the previous research questions. Question1: Do you receive extra-lectures through private tutoring? -Yes -No Most of the participants from the three grades at Mohamed Belkheir secondary school claimed that they have lectures out of mainstream education. They also added that they were receiving these lectures from middle school. They further highlighted that they would continue to receive these lectures because the quality of teaching is different from mainstream education. # Figure 1: Receiving private tutoring Figure 1 demonstrates that about 86.25% of the pupils shared positive attitudes towards receiving lectures through private schooling; in contrast, about 13.75% responded that they depend only on public education. Some of them shared negative stances, while the others maintained that they belong to needy families; consequently, they are not able to attend private lectures. About 56.25% ofthe participants complained about the time allotted for theory and practice, i.e., they lack activities to strengthen their grasping of the theoretical side of the lecture; while 33.75% of them maintained that their understanding is better in a private tutoring class in comparison to a public one, i.e., the quality of teaching is dissimilar. Question 3: How do you attend a private tutoring session? -In a small group (no more than 30 pupils) -In a large group (more than 30 pupils). # Receiving private tutoring # Yes # No # Reasons for attending private schooling Teaching quality provided in mainstream education # Extra activities and more practice Efficient time devoted for each module They added that most of the tutoring places are like garages prepared by the tutors to have a large number. They confirmed that even though they are more than fifty pupils, all the learners are quiet and following their tutor, unlike in mainstream classes. 3 reveals that most of the pupils tend to attend private tutoring sessions; while a small minority of them claimed that their number does not exceed 30 learners. They justified their answer by claiming that a considerable number of them attend at the center of the town where five teachers organized a large building for private tutoring sessions. They added that it is not a center but rather a building rented by those teachers. Do you feel that private tutoring help in improving your achievement? -Yes -No Figure 4 demonstrates that about 91.25% of the participants highlighted that private schooling helps in having good marks in the exams since the tutors provided more activities and practice that public schools lack since the time allocated is not enough, and the syllabus is too long. # b) Interview The researcher selected the sample from the same secondary school; she chose ten teachers teaching different disciplines. Those teachers are also teaching private sessions after school. The researcher picked up the essential questions from the interview: Question 1: How many years are you teaching private tutoring sessions? Seven teachers out of ten maintained that they have been teaching extra sessions as they called private tutoring between 10 and 13 years, whereas the remaining teachers argued that they are new in the field # Number of pupils attending private tutoring sessions In a small group (no more than 30 pupils) In a large group (more than 30 pupils) of shadow education since most of the tutees prefer to have lectures with experienced tutors. Question 2: Do you have a good number of tutees? All teachers replied that they have a good number of pupils, especially in scientific fields mainly mathematics, natural sciences and physics. They added that they hired a home, and prepared it to suit their tutees, i.e., providing the appropriate atmosphere to realize better results. Question 3: Do your pupils behave like in public classrooms? # The paticipation of private tutoring in improving the pupils' academic achievements Yes Six teachers out of ten argued that good pupils behave the same way in both public and private sessions, although they show more interests in mainstream lectures. On the other hand, the remaining teachers informed that their pupils behave in a differently in private sessions; they added that they are more motivated in comparison to mainstream lectures. What are the factors that push you to do private tutoring? The answers of the tutors vary depending on particular motives. Five teachers declared that it is the need of pupils and centers of private tutoring that asked them for extra-sessions; in contrast, the remaining tutors informed that they are obliged to add lectures in private centers due to their economic status. They also stated that they gave more importance to these lectures to receive more tutees. Question 5: Do you notice any progress in the tutees' academic achievements? Most of the tutors informed that they noticed a big difference in their learners' motivations, participation, involvement and therefore their performance. They further highlighted that their response in private tutoring sessions is different; they tend to answer all the activities and show more interest to the lectures and the remarks provided by them. # c) Classroom Observation The observation took place in two different settings; the first one was at Mohamed Belkheir secondary school with an English session, whereas the second session was held with a class of tutees who were having extra-sessions on the English language. The number of the pupils does not exceed 50 tutees in comparison to other modules. In this context, the researchers attended each session for 40 minutes, once per week. In this vein, the researcher summarized the following points: -The tutor employs the Competency-Based Approach in teaching English in both mainstream schools and private tutoring sessions. -The teachers focused on the same syllabus, but there is a major difference in the ways of teaching. -Tutors focused on developing the pupils' four linguistic skills in both settings. - # Recommendations Based on the findings of this small scaled research work, the researcher would like to recommend the following points: The results revealed that all pupils shared positive attitudes towards having more sessions through shadow education which has become so widespread in Algeria in the last few decades. As far as the nature of the tutors is concerned, the results demonstrated that it is just mainstream teachers who vary between new teachers, retired ones and experienced tutors who are conducting extra-sessions for economic purposes. Most importantly, the analysis expounded that the tutors are not following any academic technique in teaching in private tutoring in comparison to mainstream education, i.e., no guiding books or textbooks are provided for tutoring sessions. The results also confirmed that both teachers and the learners' parents encouraged the pupils to have private tutoring sessions to improve their level and, thus this can help in realizing good academic achievements. Although it is done on a one-to-one basis in most countries, where the learner receives more attention in comparison to mainstream schooling, they are still done in large groups in Algeria. Another substantial point that this study endeavors to mention is that the government has not taken yet any procedures towards the status of mainstream education and the spread of supplementary tutoring. Indeed, most of the tutors in private education are working illegally and do not give any importance to the academic techniques used in teaching. Importantly, private tutoring is hindering teachers from doing their duties, i.e., providing significant place to the teaching process at mainstream school. # VII. # Conclusion One might say that supplementary schooling becomes a direct factor that hampers the mainstream education in Algeria from guiding pupils to realize better achievements since the issue of education has been placed at the market and its value becomes linked to the teachers' benefits and economic issues without any regard to the pupils' rights to have knowledge from the real source which is the public school. Another remarkable point that the researcher did not want to conclude without mentioning it is the position of the parents who are the first source to guide their children. In Algeria, parents send their children to private sessions for several reasons among which the poor teaching level in mainstream schooling in addition to the competitive nature that is based on the idea of prestige, forgetting the fact that the extra-sessions are not controlled pedagogically by experts in the field. In other terms, the nature of competitiveness between the pupils, which is raised by their parents and their teachers, should be reduced so that the learners will not search for other alternatives outside the school to improve their level, but they encourage their teachers to work in mainstream schooling. 2![What are the reasons that drive you to attend supplementary private tutoring? -Teaching quality provided in mainstream education -Extra activities and more practice -Efficient time devoted for each module](image-2.png "Question 2 :") 2![Figure 2: Reasons for attending private schooling](image-3.png "Figure 2 :") 3![Figure 3: Number of pupils attending private tutoring sessions](image-4.png "Figure 3 :") ![Figure3reveals that most of the pupils tend to attend private tutoring sessions; while a small minority of them claimed that their number does not exceed 30 learners. They justified their answer by claiming that a considerable number of them attend at the center of the town where five teachers organized a large building for private tutoring sessions. They added that it is not a center but rather a building rented by those teachers. Do you feel that private tutoring help in improving your achievement? -Yes -No](image-5.png "Figure") 1AnswerPupilsExpressed in %Yes6986.25%No1113.75%Total80 2Reasons for attending supplementary privatePupils Expressed in %tutoringTeaching quality provided in mainstream education2733.75%Extra activities and more practice4556.25%Efficient time devoted for each module0810%Total80 3Number of pupilsPupilsExpressed in %In a small group (no more than 30 pupils)1113.75%In a large group (more than 30 pupils)6986.25%Total80Most of the pupils maintained that most of thelearners, who are studying at Mohamed Belkheirsecondary school, are having extra sessions in differentmodules in addition to other pupils from other schools. 4The contribution of private tutoringPupilsExpressed in %Yes7391.25%No078.75%Total80 -Materials used for the lectures are limited to theboard and the textbook in the schools, whileteachers use a variety of teaching tools in a privatetutoring class.-In public school, the teachers begin with a warm-up,examples and then introducing the pupil to thelecture, whereas in private tutoring, tutors startproviding rules and doing the activities because thepupils have already a background on the lesson inthe mainstream schooling, i.e., the teaching processin public education seems more academic incomparison to private tutoring.-In private tutoring, tutees do the activities in groups,while they tend to practice them individually or inpairs in mainstream schooling.VI. © 2018 Global JournalsPrivate Tutoring and Public Schools in Algeria: Issues and Reflections Nadia GHOUNANE is an assistant professor of sociolinguistics at the University of Dr. Moulay Tahar in Saida, Algeria. She is a researcher in Language Contact and Sociolinguistic Variation, her doctoral research explored the use of sexual discourse in Arabic literature, and her areas of interest include teaching phonetics, sociolinguistics, grammar, research methodology and written expression. 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Paris: International Institute for Educational planning MBray UNESCO 2007 * MBray Confronting the shadow education system: What government policies for what private tutoring? Paris: UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) 2009 * Demand and supply of supplementary private tutoring in upper primary schools of Ethiopia WMelese M&abebe International Online Journal of Educational Sciences 9 3 2017