The Transformation of Private Tutoring: Education in a Franchise Form

Various forms of private education are growing in Canada. This paper explores one instance of this change, private tutoring. Data from Ontario show that this massively growing industry is expanding its reach, as exemplified by the evolution from "shadow education" provision into "learning centre" franchises. Traditional shadow educators closely follow the school curriculum, offering short-term homework help and test prep. Learning centres develop their own curricular and assessment tools, offer comprehensive menus of services, and aim to nurture long-term skills. In so doing, these businesses are becoming increasingly "school-like," moving beyond supplementary education towards a fuller alternative to public schooling.We link this evolution to the imperatives of the franchise form. Their larger investment prompts franchises to control their services via standardization, to secure stable revenues, and to seek new market niches. In conclusion we discuss the prospects for tutoring and other forms of private education.