THIS WEEK’S Education Times delves into the world of private tuition seeking to know whether our children really need these kinds of arrangements in the first place. It is important to note here that such arrangements come at an extra cost and therefore before one embarks on them he/she ought to be certain that there is a need for private tuition. In case a child is deemed to be lagging behind the rest and it is established that some extra private classes could help him/her to catch up,  probably after school or during the holidays then private tuition can be quite helpful. Of course some people may think that this implies over burdening the child yet if we are to be fair to ourselves, the importance of education also implies that a learner should get all necessary help when they still can. So the important thing really is finding out where the need does exist and then finding a good teacher. However, parents need to be vigilant to ensure that this kind of arrangement is actually paying off. Students should not think that it is ok not to focus while at school because they will get tuition thereafter. These sessions should be taken very seriously by all parties. When it comes to home schooling, more consultations and considerations are necessary before one makes that decision. A lot of research should be done on the advantages and challenges of home schooling. One embarking on this system should have enough educational resources to do a good job and ensure that their child is not left behind by those attending formal education. There must be clear definition of roles and time management if home schooling is to achieve its objectives. The home environment may bread complacency which will eventually disadvantage the child.