Abstract:
This study was aimed at assessing the demand and supply of private tutoring in the upper primary
schools of Ethiopia. To achieve this objective a cross-sectional survey research design was employed.
Data were collected from 866 upper primary school students, 370 teachers, and 26 school principals.
Accordingly, four regions (two from the relatively developed and two from the emerging regions)
and one city administration were selected as sample regions by using simple random sampling
technique. Again from each region the capital town of each sample regions was selected as sample
towns through purposive sampling technique. Then from each sample town three government
schools and three private schools were selected by simple random sampling technique. Finally, from
each selected sample schools 50% of the students and all the teachers of the sample schools and the
principal of the school were taken as sample of the study by purposive sampling techniques. Data
were collected through questionnaires’, interview, and focus group discussion. The result shows that
students received supplementary private tutoring in addition to learning in mainstream schools and
started this program when they are grade 7-8. In Ethiopian context the private tutors are the
mainstream teachers of the students and other teachers in the same school. The main driving force
for students to participate in the supplementary tutorial is due to their parents and friends push.
Students receive the tutorial in one-to-one base. The major reason students need supplementary
private tutoring is education-related purpose that is to improve their academic score.
