Claire Dwyer Lecture: Geographies of Private Tutoring

The market for private tuition for primary and secondary school children in England and Wales has increased dramatically in recent years. The lecture will position the growth of this 'supplementary education industry' within the broader literature of the neoliberal restructuring of educational landscapes.

In particular it argues that private tutoring is closely related to racial, class and regional inequalities, and that though it opens up possibilities for ethnic minority advancement, it also reinforces other dimensions of inequalities.

Private tuition may offer social mobility for some but it also ensures the social reproduction of existing regimes of power.

Please note: If you cannot attend in person, we will be streaming the event live on Zoom.

Sarah Holloway is a Cultural and Social Geographer and has been Professor of Human Geography at Loughborough since 2010. She is well known within the discipline and beyond for her pioneering research on Childrens' Geographies and more broadly in the field of Geographies of Education.

These have enabled her to explore diverse theorizations of socio-spatial difference through empirical work on enrichment activities for children, the changing nature of play, parenting education and most recently: the private tuition industry.

In this lecture series, our aim is to build on Claire's vital legacy for social and cultural geography at UCL by inviting a speaker who continues to undertake research on questions of inequality, identity and creativity. The lecture will also be a time to remember Claire's central place in our community by coming together at the end of the academic year.

We are delighted to welcome Sarah Holloway to give the First Claire Dwyer Memorial Lecture. Sarah, Claire, Nina Laurie and Fiona Smith collaborated on the path-breaking "Geographies of New Femininities" in 1999. That book used four in-depth case studies to explore how gender inequalities are embedded in the geography of social and economic change. Claire’s work on gender equality – both in her research and in her workplace - is an important part of her legacy at UCL.

We aim to make our events as inclusive as possible so if you have any accessibility requirements please let us know in advance so we can try to make reasonable adjustments and ensure the appropriate measures are taken.

• 26 Bedford Way: Lecture Theatre LG04 is located on the lower ground floor of 26 Bedford Way
• There is step free access into the lecture theatre(s).
• There is staggered seating within the lecture theatre(s).
• The ramp/slope does not have handrails.
• There is not a hearing assistance system for the lecture theatre(s).

View the full access guide on the AccessAble website.

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