Would You Like to Eliminate the Burden of Transportation? About 63% of Parents Feel Burdened by Tutoring Commutes, and Around 53% Prefer Home-Based Learning Services

The Burden of Transportation and Commute Time: What Families Feel About Attending Tutoring Centers

After school, parents drive their children to tutoring centers and pick them up when sessions end.

This scene has become a routine part of daily life for many families.

However, how often do we truly reflect on the time, transportation costs, and physical energy children expend during these commutes?

To explore this, NEXER Group and Last Tutor jointly conducted a survey of 100 parents nationwide who, in a preliminary survey, indicated they have children in high school or below. The survey focused on the burdens associated with commuting to tutoring and extracurricular learning.

※ When quoting this press release, please adhere to the following:

- Clearly state that the source is "a survey conducted by NEXER Group and Last Tutor."

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Survey Overview: "Parents' Perceptions of Tutoring Commute and Transportation Burdens"

- Method: Online questionnaire - Period: July 13–20, 2026 - Respondents: Parents nationwide who indicated having children in high school or below in a preliminary survey - Valid responses: 100 samples

### Survey Questions:

- Question 1: Does your child attend tutoring or extracurricular learning outside the home? - Question 2: How do you feel about the effort and transportation costs involved in taking your child to tutoring? - Question 3: Do you think the time spent commuting to tutoring (including travel and waiting time) affects your child’s study time or physical stamina? - Question 4: In rural or poorly connected areas, do you think limited access to tutoring creates educational disparities? - Question 5: Please explain your reasoning. - Question 6: If a home-based learning service were available, which would you prefer—home-based learning or attending tutoring in person? - Question 7: Please explain your reasoning.

※ Percentages are rounded to the nearest hundredth, so totals may not sum to exactly 100%.

38.0% of Parents Reported Their Children Attend Tutoring or Lessons

First, we asked whether children attend tutoring or extracurricular learning outside the home.

The results showed 38.0% answered "Yes," while 62.0% answered "No."

Among households with children in high school or below, about four in ten have children attending external learning programs.

When children study outside the home, families face not only academic content but also the time and logistical burden of transportation.

63.1% of Parents Feel Burdened by Transportation Efforts and Costs

Next, among parents whose children attend tutoring, we asked how they feel about the effort and transportation costs.

The results showed 18.4% feel "a significant burden," and 44.7% feel "somewhat burdened," totaling 63.1% who perceive a burden. In contrast, 36.8% said it doesn’t bother them.

Even though attending tutoring is essential for learning, parents must allocate time for transportation and bear associated costs. Since children attend regularly, these small daily burdens can accumulate over time.

50.0% Believe Commute Time Affects Study Time and Physical Stamina

We then asked parents whose children attend tutoring whether commute time (including travel and waiting) affects their child’s study time or physical stamina.

10.5% said "significantly affects," and 39.5% said "somewhat affects," totaling 50.0% who believe it has an impact. Meanwhile, 31.6% said "not much," and 18.4% said "not at all."

Time spent commuting to tutoring is not actual study time.

However, long commutes and waiting times may shorten post-school study and rest periods, potentially affecting children’s physical well-being.

84.2% Believe Accessibility Issues Create Educational Inequality

We also asked parents whose children attend tutoring whether limited access to tutoring in rural or poorly connected areas leads to educational disparities.

31.6% answered "Yes," and 52.6% answered "Somewhat," totaling 84.2% who recognize such disparities. Only 10.5% said "Not really," and 5.3% said "No."

We also asked for reasons behind this perception. Some responses include:

### Reasons for Perceived Educational Inequality

- Many households are dual-income, and parents often lack time for transportation. (Female, 30s) - It reduces learning opportunities. (Female, 30s) - Shorter commute times allow more productive use of time. (Male, 40s) - Rural areas are inconvenient for shopping, school commutes, and extracurriculars. (Female, 40s) - In rural areas, there are fewer tutoring options. (Male, 50s) - Transportation costs and time are heavier burdens compared to urban areas. (Male, 50s)

Responses highlighted concerns about transportation time, costs, and limited tutoring options based on location.

Even if families want their children to attend tutoring, distance and transportation barriers can make it difficult. This is especially true for dual-income households, where arranging transportation itself can be a burden.

52.6% Would Prefer Home-Based Learning Services

Finally, we asked parents whose children attend tutoring which they would prefer if a home-based learning service were available: home-based learning or in-person tutoring.

18.4% said "prefer home-based learning," and 34.2% said "somewhat prefer home-based learning," totaling 52.6% who would choose home-based services. In contrast, 36.8% said "somewhat prefer in-person tutoring," and 10.5% said "prefer in-person tutoring," totaling 47.3% who prefer traditional tutoring.

While the difference is not large, slightly more parents expressed a preference for home-based learning.

We also collected reasons for their choices:

### Parents Who Prefer Home-Based Learning Services

- No commute time. (Male, 20s) - No transportation costs. (Male, 30s) - Studying at home is ideal; eliminating commute effort is better. (Female, 30s) - Transportation is troublesome and time-consuming. (Female, 40s) - Online learning allows flexibility during unexpected situations. (Male, 40s)

### Parents Who Prefer In-Person Tutoring

- We’ve tried online lessons, and while cost-performance is acceptable, the social experience—making friends—is different from school.