Hi all, I just wanted to reach out to let you know we’ve just passed 499 signatures on our petition. Just a reminder that our petition is focussed on questioning the management of the National Tutoring Programme by EEF and Nesta - this is not an attack on different models of tutoring provision.
Yesterday, TTA President John was quoted in this article by Schools Week:
Tutors’ association calls for public inquiry
The Tutors’ Association, which has previously criticised the NTP for naming only three of its members among the 33 first phase providers, called this week for a public inquiry into the programme.
It follows revelations in the Guardian that Third Space Learning, one of the programme’s tuition partners, had employed tutors in Sri Lanka as young as 17 with guaranteed minimum pay as low as £1.57 an hour.
John Nichols, president of the Tutors’ Association, questioned the impartiality of the programme given that Nesta, one of the EEF’s partners in delivering the first phase, has invested millions of pounds in Third Space Learning.
According to Nesta’s website, the charity has invested £2.25 million over found rounds into the company since 2015.
Nichols demanded an inquiry “into the whole selection and implementation process” of phase one, and said his organisation was the “most appropriate body” to review and accredit delivery partners for the second phase.
But the NTP today denied any conflict of interest, stating that Nesta was “not involved in the assessment of any of the bids to become a tuition partner”.
Nesta was approached for comment.
Here is the link to share the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-initiate-a-public-inquiry-into-the-national-tutoring-programme-management
