Middle schoolers are well aware that their peers may have access to an aid that can help them in many ways. They can give extra work, edit papers, and help students comprehend subjects that they may be having trouble with. Tutors can be a help when learning in difficult material, but can they be considered as a cheating aid to the students who have access to them?

A survey was conducted with 141 students to see how many students use tutors and what students at Bedford think about whether a tutor is considered an unfair advantage.
According to the survey, 19.8 percent of said they have access to a tutor.

Many kids around the school have a tutor for one of two reasons: First, they are struggling in a subject, and they need extra help; secondly, they want to get as far ahead with extra lessons as possible in one, some, or all of their classes.

An eighth grade student, who has been granted anonymity, said she has access to four different tutors: one for math, two for two different languages, and one for language arts and social studies.
“I use my tutors to get ahead in all my classes,” she said.. She primarily uses her language arts and math tutors. She uses her tutors to give her extra problems, study, and check over her work. “My tutors are strict about not doing my work for me,” she said.

One thing that needs to be considered when thinking about whether tutors are an advantage or not is about the number of tutors that are actually available to students. What about the students who don’t have access to this type of help?

Many kids who have tutors at Bedford are using them to get ahead in subjects, not necessarily because they are falling behind. If these students understand what is happening in class, is that using a tutor properly? Tutors can cost anywhere from $10 to $150 an hour. The less expensive tutors tend to be students looking to make extra money; the more expensive tutors tend to be full time teachers supplementing their teacher salaries.

“I find out what they are doing in class and give them additional practice that can be good for their style of learning,” said Mrs. Maria Tombline, a Spanish teacher at Bedford Middle School. Mrs. Tombline tutors high school students, and tries her best to help them grasp concepts with which they are having trouble.

She thinks that it depends on the situation regarding the advantage that her students at Bedford can gain from tutors. “It depends why they are getting tutors. [Tutors] can help students catch up when they aren’t naturally as good and struggle in school, and if they have trouble with the subject.” She says that as long as you pay attention in class and do the work you are assigned, tutors are not necessary in being a good student.

If you have a tutor, don’t feel bad about. Next time you see him or her, talk about how you can reduce the amount of support he or she is giving you. Tutors can be a great resource as long as they are used properly.