Private tutoring in Afghanistan: the role of private tutoring in the Konkor Exam
Abstract
Private tutoring has become a widespread phenomenon across the world countries including
Afghanistan. It is commonly provided to prepare students in Afghanistan for the Konkor exam
which is the national entrance exam to public universities. However, there is a handful of
studies conducted on this matter. This paper entitled “Private Tutoring in Afghanistan: The
Role of Private Tutoring in the Konkor exam” employed a qualitative method to gather data
from the stakeholders. Stakeholders here referred to students, teachers and parents. This paper
follows two aims, understanding the perceptions of the stakeholders regarding private tuition
and the role it plays in preparing students for the Konkor exam. The data for this study has been
gathered through four online one-to-one interviews with teachers and three online FGDs (Focus
group discussions) with students and parents. The findings of this study reveal that the
stakeholders perceive private tuition from different dimensions including economic, social and
academic. Generally, they show a positive viewpoint such as supporting school lessons,
preparing students for the exam and encouraging students. They also perceive that private
tutoring plays a significant role in student’s preparation for Konkor exam which is very crucial
for the student’s further study. However, they also mention some drawbacks such as creating
disparity and causing health issues for students and burdening low income families. It is
recommended that quality of school education should be improved so that students’
dependency on private education decrease. Additionally, more studies on private tutoring
especially on private tuition status at the present time should be conducted so that a clear picture
of private tutoring in Afghanistan can be illustrated.