Over the past two decades, more than 90 private tutors in the UK have been convicted of sexual offenses against children, according to an investigation .
This alarming figure has prompted England’s Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, to call for immediate reforms. She argues that private tutors should be subject to the same criminal background checks as school teachers. Currently, no such legal obligation exists, meaning many tutors can work with young people without undergoing any vetting process.
Dame Rachel said that mandatory checks, such as the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) background check, should be required for private tutors to ensure they are fit to work with children. “Anyone working with children in a one-on-one setting should have a DBS check. It’s the most basic safeguard,” she emphasized.
Research conducted by the Sutton Trust in 2023 shows that 30% of children aged 11 to 16 in the UK have had private tutoring at some point, highlighting the scale of the issue. As private tutoring grows in popularity, concerns about children’s safety continue to rise.
A Parent’s Worst Nightmare
One mother, Jane (a pseudonym), shared the devastating story of how her daughter was sexually assaulted by her private tutor. For years, Jane believed her daughter was safe, receiving tutoring along with other children in the tutor’s home. It wasn’t until her daughter broke down and revealed the abuse that Jane realized the horrifying truth.
“It was like the world fell out from under me,” Jane said. “I had assumed there were protections in place. I never thought this could happen.”
Jane’s story is tragically not unique. Currently, private tutors are not required by law to have any background checks or teaching qualifications unless they are registered with a tutoring agency that enforces such requirements.
John Nichols, President of The Tutors Association, which represents over 50,000 tutors across the UK, has expressed his concern over the lack of legal safeguards. “Anyone can call themselves a tutor without any oversight or background checks. This needs to change,” he stated. Nichols has written to the Secretary of State for Education, urging for mandatory DBS checks for all professional tutors.
A System Open to Exploitation
A recent BBC investigation uncovered that, over the past 20 years, 92 private tutors have been convicted of sexual offenses against children. These figures, derived from news reports and court documents, are likely just the tip of the iceberg, with many cases going unreported or undetected.
One notorious case involves Thomas Rodgers, a music tutor, who was convicted in December 2023 for sexually abusing two boys under the age of 11. Despite his conviction, Rodgers continued to offer lessons until he was sentenced to prison in January 2024. Shockingly, under current laws, he could legally resume tutoring after his release, as there is no requirement for a criminal background check for private tutors.
George (not his real name), one of Rodgers’ victims, is now an adult and appalled at the legal loophole that allows abusers like Rodgers to return to teaching. “Parents have no idea they could be sending their child into a predator’s hands. The system is broken, and it needs to change before more children get hurt,” he said.
Calls for Urgent Reform
Dame Rachel de Souza has labeled the situation as “shocking” and is pressing the government to close the legal gap as soon as possible. “The fact that anyone can offer tutoring services to children without a background check is deeply concerning. Protecting children is our top priority, and this loophole must be closed immediately.”
The Department for Education, which oversees child protection in England, has acknowledged the issue. In a statement, officials said they are considering further measures to protect children across all out-of-school settings, including private tutoring.
In the meantime, parents are advised to follow government safeguarding guidelines when selecting tutors and to request evidence of a DBS check.
For parents like Jane, the delay in legal reforms is excruciating. “You hire a tutor to help your child, but instead, you could be putting them in harm’s way. It’s a heartbreaking irony,” she said.
The push for reform is gaining momentum, but until concrete changes are made, the responsibility to ensure child safety lies largely with parents. The hope is that soon, comprehensive legal measures will be enacted to prevent more tragic cases like Jane’s from happening.