As education circles wonder what changes the new Education Secretary’s appointment will bring to the classroom Exemplar Education’s Darren Tye says extra-curricular learning does not have to be for the privileged few. The current political environment is constantly shifting. New prime minister Boris Johnson just appointed Gavin Williamson as the new education secretary making Mr Williamson the fifth education secretary in the space of five years. Both Johnson and Williamson have promised to increase per-pupil funding by at least £5,000 with Johnson pledging £4.6bn in extra funding for schools by 2022-23. Although this sounds promising, teachers across the country contend that even this cash injection does not keep pace with the pressures on the education system and are calling for an expansion on spending promises. As the sector looks to the future with uncertainty millions of parents around the country are looking into the world of private tuition to boost their kids’ academic progress outside the classroom. Being a parent or a teacher no easy task – especially not in 2019. Raising children equipped with the fundamental skills to enter the uncertain working world while meeting their emotional needs in an environment riddled with continued exam stress and social media pressures, requires long-term energy and investment from both parents and teachers. When we mention learning outside the classroom our minds instantly jump to costly private tuition. From Eton to Oxbridge, or to a costly world of privilege; we assume that these are prerequisites of extra-curricular learning. With over a quarter of secondary school students using expensive private tutors and in turn creating a market worth over £2billion, it is obvious that there needs to be alternative options for families from all walks of life on a variety of incomes to ensure that educational inequality isn’t exacerbated – and this is where online learning support comes in. Exemplar Education is solely focused on getting the best out of children. Unlike private tutors, online learning support is cost effective and cost per use offers substantially greater value. Exemplar Education’s online programme is completely in-line with the national curriculum and qualified teachers are on hand to give around the clock support to any child who is struggling. With online learning support, children and parents can use these programmes as many times as they want and parents are able to track their child’s progress – especially in an ever-changing political environment, parents having complete transparency over their child’s development is as crucial as ever. Now is the time for parents to be thinking about the next academic year and putting in place any extra learning support for their children. With class sizes growing and resources and budgets up in the air, no one really knows whose responsibility it is to help our children. With online support, parents and children can take control of their own learning without spending an exorbitant amount on private tutors.