There's an old joke: How many Oxbridge dons does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: "Change?" In education, regardless whether it is school or university, tradition can be wonderful.
This is especially true of traditions that can be rightly proud of strong records of academic success and achievement.
But although education can value its traditions, it cannot rest on them if it is to remain meaningful in a world of change.
And, put simply, the burden of this change is felt most strongly by parents.
Caught between basic, unchanging desires for their children on one hand, and rapidly changing educational dynamics on the other, it is here that parents feel the pull of changes in education with most tensity.
The basic desires that parents have are easy enough to grasp.
They include a desire that their children should have optimal chances for success and achievement in life, as well as an ongoing experience of well-being and enthusiastic purpose.
If there was ever a case of 'Twas ever thus' in educational goals, this would surely be it.
Changes in curriculum and teaching styles have alienated many parents The changing dynamics are another matter though.
Parents, aware that curriculum content and teaching styles have changed since 'their day', often stand back wondering whether a place for them in their child's education exists at all.
Sometimes parents hesitate to help with homework, even at the primary level.
Could their efforts at helping actually get in the way of their child's progress, they wonder? When did the things they had learned in school become obsolete anyway? Parents are therefore often left occupying an uneasy middle ground between wanting to be able to participate fully in their children's education on one hand, but feeling disempowered to do so on the other.
The increasing popularity of private tuition The popularity of private tutoring has increased dramatically in recent years.
Of course one reason for this is the focussed assistance it provides, which can be a decisive advantage in a competitive educational environment.
Another is the difference it can make in the case of difficulties at school, or learning challenges such as dyslexia.
In addition though, hiring a private tutor is an empowering move for parents, who sense the importance of remaining involved in their children's education.
This is especially true in the case of full time private tutoring, where the relationships between student, tutor, and parents take on a dynamic strength that no school can match.
The need for tailored education There are excellent schools of course, but with the best will in the world, a school will never be able to address the needs of individuals in the way that a parent or dedicated private tutor can.
In an environment of constant educational change, parents have no choice but to question their child's school and the school's decisions.
Schools are not - cannot be - tailored to the individual child, but in some cases that tailoring is exactly what is called for.
Parents do have other options, however.
In circumstances where school is not working, parents should be aware that there are better alternatives than simply moving school.
Besides offering superlative results, full time private tutoring offers possibilities for educational excellence that strengthen, rather than sacrifice, the vital link between parent, pupil, and teacher.