The Role of Private Tutoring on Secondary School Learner Performance in Vhembe District
Thivhavhudzi Muriel Badugela 
Issue: Vol. 6 No.12 Article 42 pp. 3482 – 3493
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561242 | Published online 28th November, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The South African education system faces persistent challenges, including overcrowded classrooms, insufficient resources, and disparities in quality. These issues are particularly acute in rural areas like Vhembe District, where learners often experience suboptimal academic outcomes. Many learners turn to private tutoring to address these gaps, which has become a popular solution to improve performance. This paper, therefore, investigated the impact of private tutoring on secondary school learners in the Vhembe District, examining its benefits, alignment with school curricula, and accessibility challenges. Using a mixed-methods approach, data was collected from learners, tutors, and teachers through questionnaires, interviews, and academic records. The findings revealed that private tutoring significantly enhances learner performance in key subjects but remains inaccessible to many due to financial and logistical barriers. Recommendations include government-supported programs, improved school-tutor collaboration, and using digital platforms to enhance equity. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on educational inequality and intervention strategies in under-resourced contexts. It offers empirical evidence on the effectiveness of private tutoring in rural South Africa and provides policy-relevant insights for enhancing academic support systems to promote equitable learner outcomes.
Keywords: Private tutoring, learner performance, secondary education, educational inequality.
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Since joining the University of Venda, Dr. Thivhavhudzi Muriel Badugela has lectured on the Sociology of Education and Curriculum studies. Muriel attended National and international conferences, presenting papers. Muriel published book chapters and papers in peer-reviewed journals. Before joining the university, she taught at a secondary school for 28 years and worked as a Principal at Tshiluwi Primary School. Since 2018, Muriel has been a Lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education. Qualifications: STD-Makhado, B.A- Unisa, Bed Hons-Northwest, Med- Curriculum Studies Unisa, ACE- English, Technology Education -Unisa, Travel & Tourism -SACTE; PhD-African studies _Univen.
Badugela, Thivhavhudzi Muriel. “The Role of Private Tutoring on Secondary School Learner Performance in Vhembe District,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 12 (2025): 3482 – 3493, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561242.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
