In the 1980s, the South Korean government issued a blanket prohibition on such private tutoring.

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Teachers, too, have enjoyed a rise in their salaries, with the result that the practice of private tutoring is on the decline.

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However, both measures do allow students in failing schools to switch to another public school after three years, or obtain federal dollars to use for private tutoring programs.

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These accounts, which also grow tax-free, can be used to cover not only college but also precollege expenses such as private school, tutoring or the purchase of a computer.

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These accounts, which also grow tax free, can be used to cover not only college but also precollege expenses such as private school, tutoring or the purchase of a computer.

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The money grows tax deferred and can be withdrawn tax free if used for "qualified educational expenses, " which include not just college but also private elementary and secondary tuition, tutoring and even a computer.

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Still, withdrawals are tax-free if used for any educational expense, including tutoring, computer purchases or private primary or high school.

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"Educating your children in the West used to be a fashion", says Dasha, who runs a tutoring agency in London that prepares Russian children for Western private schools.

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