In this text we analyze the ways of regulation of private tutoring, an activity that is at present a success story as a private educational product with an widespread use across the world that we can even see as parallel to that of the school model. Firstly, we will characterize the regulation policies that are in place worldwide: i) the situation of the countries that ignore the activity of private tutoring; ii) the case of the countries that have chosen to prohibit private tutoring, totally or partially; iii) the case of the countries that have recognized the activity and that have even developed educational policies that have found in private tutoring an ally in the improvement of school results. We will then discuss the situation in Portugal, a country where the activity has a long history, but that knows nowadays a new vigor and greater social visibility. In what concerns the regulation policies of private tutoring in Portugal, we can talk about a bureaucratic regulation without a great impact on the practices of education professionals, students and families. We will conclude our text with some reflections on the need to give public dimension to the discussion on the activity of private tutoring, as it has many and serious social and political repercussions, namely with respect to the democratization of school access and success, a main issue that is at the heart of the concern with equity in public policies.
PRIVATE TUTORING; EDUCATION MARKET; REGULATION; EDUCATIONAL POLICIES