Is tuition critical for students to excel these days?

Question

Is tuition critical for students to excel these days?

Answer 1

Tuition Class isn't really necessary for some students.



As a tutor myself(i teach both reputable schools like St Margaret and CHIJ to neighbourhood schools like Jurong West, Fuhua secondary school) i can see that some students have the potential to get good result provided if they are able to concentrate during class time and also not being lazy.



However perhaps Singapore government should actually do something about the education system in Singapore. For example not only giving the best teacher to reputable schools and forgetting about those in the neighbourhood school...



Maybe i think they should give a stricter restriction in order for better teachers to be around in the school to achieve lesser teaching lesser work for the teachers.



I think teacher should teach smart. Perhaps a little twist to the old teaching method. Like using simpler english to teach, using a different method or way to teach. Other than just plainly teaching in class perhaps some activity for the student to move around, some story telling which teaches them value.



I believe this might be some ways to help student to better concentrate during classes.

Answer 2

Tuition has become like abalone, birdnest and yes HDB flats where the cost is driven by demand.

And NO, it does not make the competition uneven.

People can have the best tutors but still fail due to laziness.

Normal classes supplement with some self studies will do.

Smart is smart stupid is stupid it is a fact that no parents now will acknowledge.

Answer 3

The only advantage maybe will be the rich peers and the exposure to high profile connections, other than that, just keep the motivation and the drive. Maintain your work ethic for your whole life and keep building on it. Hard work does pay off, and being decent and being humble takes you places.

Get educated, be well rounded, learn about the world; Being rich or poor does not limit you from this. Work with what you have, and don't give up.



Cheesy but straight up

Answer 4

I personally feel, it all boils down to individual. You can get the world's best tutor who employs a record proven method to teach the student. But, if u meet a person who is lazy or unwilling to learn, it's not going to help. Whereas on the other hand, a student from poor family can do as well or even better even if they can only turn to their school teacher for help.

Answer 5

I feel tuition has evolved from a simple education supplement tool for the weak and slow learners to a education ARMS race created by anxious parents hoping for high flying furture for their children.



But is that tuition really necessary?

We must think in the children's perspective...

Are they able to absorb the information from the tuition after a long day at school with classes and CCAs?

Are they getting enough time to rest from all that parental induced child grooming? EG. Piano, Singing, Dancing, Drawing, Swimming lessons.

Can the children even handle all that stress?

Do they even have a childhood?



And another opionion that I have is that, let MOE do their job of educating our children, don't snatch their jobs by having tuition to head start the education.

Soon or later the Primary School students may be learning upper Secondary stuff if this "head starting" syndrome is allow to continued as the MOE will think that our students are getting brighter and cleverer by the generations.



Current Parenrs and Future Parents... please think about the above... Thanks

Answer 6

It's not really an unfair advantage because nothing stops parents from tutoring their children personally. If others can afford tuition, you would probably have to find time for your kids to assist them in catching up. Besides, it's also about your natural abilities. Some kids may just not demonstrate sufficient interest in certain subjects or vocations.



One of your respondents claims modesty and humility takes you places, well, sorry to burst that bubble Patel, it doesn't. You need confidence to tackle your problems, sure, sometimes it may not work out and you may fall flat, but that doesn't mean you do not try it with equal confidence again. Don't let minor hurdles affect your confidence in your own abilities.



Motivation is a key issue for children these days, a confident kid is a motivated kid, simple enough.



That said, let's treat education like how it really is, it's a process where we learn. Good examination techniques do not necessarily result in good learning outcomes, eventually the 'cheats' will indeed have their work cut out once they step up at the higher levels and when they do not have assistance left. But in it's entirety, tuitions aren't wrong or bad - and if you are a parent, you have to then expend your resources accordingly.



However, as a parent, if you can't read/write, then why have kids anyway? That is a question that comes to mind.



Money buys convenience, if your kids cannot afford it, nothing stops the parent from assisting the kids as a substitute tuition teacher. Not everything in life is fair, time we grew up and put in more effort. If life were fair, we wouldn't harvest animals in the slaughter houses and cry foul everytime one is slaughtered in front of us, right? It's only fair as long as it's convenient for us.

Answer 7

Tuition are for kids who cannot understand what were taught by their teachers in school. Kids go to school before sunrise (6.15am) and normally return home after 2pm or later. Just imagine the amount of time they spent in school each day,weeks & years. Yet, they still need so many tuition classes.Something is wrong with MOE or me?

Angry parent

Answer 8

My daughter is promoted to a 'good' class this year. She had problem catching up because will the other classmates knew the topic (from tution class) before the teacher teaches them in class. As such, the teacher would skim through the topic. In the end, I have to also go through the un-taught topic with her before the teacher teaches.



This is unfair to students from poor family especially if the parents are unable to help them academically.

Answer 9

Not necessary. Tuition is only for the dumb and less confident. :p

Answer 10

It's not about uneven playing field. In some good schools, teachers have become slack in teaching in the classroom because they know that their pupils will get plenty of supplementary lessons at home. I've heard of tops schools who just give their pupils plenty of homework, with minimal teaching in the classroom. THAT is unfair to pupils who rely on schools to do the teaching.

Once again, the ministry is distracting the public with irrelevant facts. It's not a question about rich or poor. It's masking the slack of teachers in schools. And the top schools are not spared from this guilt.

Answer 11

It's too hectic education system in Singapore. Does not mean that this kind of education will put you in the top of the world. Where will the kid reach with this kind of education system. And that is the reason why we have a lot of school drop outs and less educated children in Singapore, because of the simple reason is that there is too much to study at an young age. So for the parents, in-order to get a good PSLE results for his daugher or son, Tuition is the only way out. Still the questions apper in the PSLE is so confusing for the child, and even an highly educated adult and for that matter even the Tuition teacher sometime get confused. So where is the guidelines and where is the benchmark? Why such a huge task for the young aged? Is there any reply such this question. So the Answer is Yes, Tuition is the Critical for Students to Excel These Days. We are sorry about the poor children, but it's created by our system.

Answer 12

Increasing private tuition for supplementary purpose is a sign of weakness in the education system. And the question to that lies in what is the purpose of education? What is the purpose of tests, examinations and assessments in schools? Have they became a mean to create competition? Or do they exist to help students understand their strengths and weaknesses so that teachers can assist accordingly? Is tests and examination having more positive than negative influence on the child?(many tests and examinations have been created to fail students so many had turn to tuition) Many teachers have taken tuition for granted when they set the tests and examinations so these assessments are in most cases harder than what has been taught to the students.

If the tests and examinations have a clear purpose, which is to nurture the student further, then tuition would just be needed to fill some gaps that happens at times as there are imperfections in life. However, if the education system is set up in a way to support a competitive tuition market, then something is very wrong. The good education system should be able to support most of the 'average students' in their development without tuition. I'm sure most Singapore students are at least of 'average' ability. Unless it is proved otherwise, then a competitive tuition market is needed.

In the case where the education system can adequately support 80% of students, it will only matter to the poorer families if their child is a lower than 'average' ability student. In this case, the governement would want to look into supporting only these group of students in their tuition fees. As educators, let's not forget how a child should grow as a person.

Answer 13

Yes, I guess they can because everything circles around the attitude of the student. If I am a rich man's daughter and have all the tuition I can, and is provided with the best tuition teachers, I can be indifferent about education and not study well at all. However, if I am a taxi driver's daughter and do not have any tuition and I am willing to put my heart and soul into education, I will be able to excel in terms af academic. Therefore, I think that children from poorer families will still be able to compete fairly in school without having tuition

Answer 14

The issue is not the Poor families!

Most parents who send their kids for tuition have no choice...If their kids can cope or catch up their school work, who want to spend such $$$.It is not a matter of Poor families. I think the matter lies in the teacher's coaching skill and encouragement to the student. Teachers need to have passion.



One aspect is the education ministry need to seriously survey from this parents why they do so.



The Ministry may also study each and every early childhoods/primary school's performance of their

students and teachers maybe at least every semester.( I mean, Get a 3rd party Audit, rather than results submitted to them by the school)



1.Why there are drop in students results?

2.Are there any changes to the schools system?

3.Are the teacher really qualified and have passion in teaching?

4.What Action Plan do the school's principal and Management Team have in place when they see falling results on particular classes or students due to certain circumtances, be it changes in policies,method, plan and changes in teachers.

5.MOE might

6.What are the engagement the school have with the parents/guidiance, is it effective, or just only news letter to the parents.

7. What are the teachers commitment to the school and students they are in charge, any other effort they put to ensure the students benefits from the lesson.eg, giving tuition during w/end in school?

8.Principal need to ensure and have a Game plan to make education a interesting journey to the students and cascade the message to the teachers.



Last but not least, If the MOE can conduct a survey with the parents directly I think they will benefits

and also feel the ground better.

Answer 15

There is no need to create a big fuss over tuition. It is basically extra practice and consultation, something a student can easily obtain in school. This doesn't mean tuition is non-beneficial. In tuition, students are pushed to do extra work and learn. Other students who do not receive private tuition only need discipline and willingness to study to obtain the same benefits as those who receive private tuition. This shows that it is not a necessity for a student to have tuition. There are after all cases where the student attends plenty of tuition classes and yet only obtain an average results.

In the end, the "unfair playing field" only serves as an excuse for lazy students or parents when the students do not perform well.

Answer 16

It is true that students coming from poorer family background could have problems affording tution and thus losing the edge from kids with better backgrounds.



However, I think it is still back down to the dedication of the teachers in the school teaching the subjects. There should not be any sterotypes or biasness shown when dealing with student learning at a slower pace. In fact, remedial classes should be catered for such students. Back in those days, not alot of us have tuition and we still manage to get into a university. Why? because the teachers back then display much more dedication in their work. They pay more attention to the weaker students. Oh btw i am coming from the point of view from a neighbourhood sch and not those "famous" school, so not I am not very sure about the teaching there.



We have to also agree that the Gen y is a much harder bunch to manage compare to us. They get bored easily and get distracted once they are bored. Therefore, teachers have to be very creative, and adopt different methods to engage them. Instead of the 1G method where it is always a one way learning.



But the teachers alone are not suffcient. The students themselves also needs to have the drive to learn. If they are intersted enough, they would ask the teachers on stuff they do not understand and I believed that their queries would be answer. But because they lack of this drive, most of them simply wait for things to happen therefore learning at a slower pace. Imagine if u give them an iphone or something they are really interested in. Given the available resources in this era, they will be able to source for the answer by themselves. And learn how to use the phone or what ever they want to know. So students themselves also needs to be movtivated and understand that they are not limited to their family background when it comes to learning.

Answer 17

Personally I don't there is anything wrong with kids taking extra lessons after school hours. If the kids feel that they needed help from tutors - by all means go ahead. There is nothing wrong being rich. How on earth some people correlate taking tuition lessons and being rich. Do you mean poor families cannot afford to send their kids for tuition classes. Some arguments really blows my mind. Getting the best coach in the world doesn't guarantee producing world champions. Similarly, getting the best tutor cannot guarantee producing A* pupils.

Let's look at the education system in Singapore. One teacher to 40 pupils. Pupils of different learning speeds. Teachers job - admin, disciplinary role, teaching, marking, etc etc. It's a very demanding job. With constant complaints from parents and demands from principals & MOE, they are exhausted. Solution? Tuition. Why tutors can do a better job? Focus, small groups (or 1-to-1) and rewarding. Said enough. One person's food is another's poison. Let us stop criticising each other. Which parents do not wish to give their own kids a head start?



Fundamental Attribution Error!!

Answer 18

Tuition has become a necessity in this highly competitive society. Maybe not so much for secondary school kids who are a little more matured and able to study on their own, but it is definitely needed for primary school kids. If you look through the primary school textbooks and what is covered in there, you would have realised that it is the very, very basic being covered. Ask around and many will tell you that the English, Maths and Science textbooks can be trashed as they are insufficient to cope with any test / exam / PSLE questions. What is needed are the assessment and booster books bought from bookstores or notes from tuition / enrichment centres. How can this be a level playing field for the poor families, whereby parents may not have time or ability to guide their kids in homework, or know which assessment books to buy, not to mention have the financial means for all these and to send kids to tuition? I really sympathize with kids from such families. I hope those popular tuition centres in Singapore which has been making much money from this education system can also do their part: provide some of these kids with "free tuition" and help them succeed in this highly competitive education system.

Answer 19

The good students who manage to get into top schools usually have no problems - the students themselves are academically bright and motivated and to top it all, good schools have quality teachers. I understand that RI's teachers have minimum masters degress and many PhD holders.



The weaker students usually end up in our schools next door where the teachers are not the most passionate nor highly qualified. The students may also face extreme peer pressures from their schoolmates (where the majority may not be motivated to excel) and worst still, what if their families cannot afford private tuition? Simply put, it is not a fair playing field. Only the very bright from the poorer families make it. The bright side is that S'pore has a meritocratic system which I personally think it's good.



Patrick

Answer 20

Honestly speaking, what is tuition to now-a-days parents? To make their children much smarter? Or do they want to it to aid their children? Many parents can't get the concept sometimes. They think that giving their children tuition will make sure that their children can get excellent results. But is it necessary be true? Think twice.



As a ex-part time tuition teacher before, I can never really understand some of the parents' idea of tuition. Some of the parents simply want you to teach their children who already is able to score 98/100. They feel that not being able to get 100 means that the kid is not doing well in the school therefore needs tuition to make sure the kid is able to get 100. There are times when I really feel like shutting the parent's mouth up. For a kid of their age, getting 98/100 is more than good enough! Are you able to get 100/100 when you are at that age?! Please.



Whether or not you are from a rich family or a poor family, it all depends on a child's capability of studying. You might be rich and have a few professional tutor giving you tuition, but whether or not you perform is another matter. Some might perform, but some might not. You might come from a poor family, but if you are willing to put the effort and time to learn, you don't need a tutor to let yourself get good scores. Reflect, if you don't need a tutor and you can score just as good as those who have, doesn't it means that you are a lot much better than them? Be proud of it.



Now, if you think that tuition is critical to students, aren't there enough tuition for student back in school? Aren't they learning in school? Why do they need to learn outside of school? As I stand in my speech, what is tuition? A way of learning or an aid in learning? Make a clear thought about it.

Answer 21

Being in the Tuition industry for a good amount of time, I always believe that Tuition does play a big part in a child's learning cycle. Tutors not only could assist the child academically, there could be some values they could add to the child upbringing. The motivational factors and confidence the child could achieve by doing much more and preparing them well ahead of schedule should set them to achieve much more than they would expect. It also boils down to the character of the child. Being self motivated and how much they want it is the most important factors of all. Kids need so much pushing nowadays as I do believe they do take things for granted at times. In future generations to come, although academic success may not necessarily be the yardstick of how much they can achieve in life,a proper and decent cert will set them up for a brighter future. Being in a competitive society like Singapore, we can't afford to sit back and relax and we must constantly be on our toes.I am from Outram Secondary School and I always believe its motto "Labor conquers All". Working hard and perseverance is the surest way to ensure success. All kids out there should be never be complacent about their studies. Whether they are from a rich or poor family is not really important,once they are LAZY. Everything spiral downhill. Just my 2 cents worth. Hope this could set some kids moving.Thanks for reading.

Answer 22

No.

I'm a Secondary 4 student taking my O Levels this year, and although there are exceptions (smart kids, rich or poor, will do well with or without tuition), in general, average students from poorer families are at a disadvantage compared to average students from wealthier families. Most classes have a really big student to teacher ratio, and it's really hard for teachers to cater to the needs of a big class of students with different abilities. The weaker students will end up lost at the end of the lesson, and will require private tutors to go through the lessons with them again. I'm a student, so I can tell you, exams are being pushed earlier and the curriculum is getting more complex and more difficult. The teachers (at my school, anyway) really rush through a lot of topics, especially when we miss lessons because of certain special events, so completing the syllabus is always a challenge. That's why many students (even my friends from other schools) are tasked to learn completely new topics all on their own during holidays. We're given tests after that to assess our understanding of the topics, but those who show a lack of said understanding usually aren't given any attention. That's why tutors are so important. They complete everything that school teachers can't or don't finish. Thus, I conclude that those without tutors lose out. That's my personal opinion anyway.

Answer 23

In my whole academic years, I had only 2 tuitions which lasted about 3-4 months maximum. The only reason I took them was to understand the basics of where I was going wrong in my answering the questions (Literature). I'm proud to say that in Secondary 4, while my classmates went for back-to-back tuition lessons, I had none and was at home studying on my own and getting help from my school teachers when required and that is it. And yes, I managed to do pretty well, better than many who did have tuitions.

Tuitions are not necessary if the child understands the basics of passing the subject. Building up on those basics and practicing to earn that A1 grade is not something which only tuition teachers can help with. Regardless of the background of the child, he/she will be able to do as well as anyone without tuition.

Tuition isn't a must. Our society has just made it seem like a must. Let the child grow and learn on their own! See it as a help, not as a necessity.

Answer 24

Yes, tuition does help to bring up the grades but No, it is not critical. If the students were to be faithful to do all the work that the teacher had given, read through the notes or textbook for that topic during the weekends, they should not have problem catching up. And if a child is weak or slow in certain subjects, extra time will be allocated by the teacher for coaching.



I am saying this because I am a teacher and that is exactly what i have been doing. I have been giving my afternoons and saturdays to coach my weaker students. More often than not, it is the students who do not feel the urge to study and starts to panic when the exams or major exams are near. School work are often more than enough for the students.



Dear parents, do not blame the teachers for bad teaching. While i dare not say that all teachers are great teachers, all teachers that i know or came across are those who are willing to put in extra time and effort to help the students. The problem is that we have so much things to do or meetings to go to such that we have little time left, even for ourselves or our families.



Leslie

Answer 25

I've finished my O levels a few years ago, but here's my two cents.



My mum was a single parent and could never afford a lot of tuition for me. It was frustrating to know people who did very well in certain subjects, and were already quite good at it, were even better cuz they had tuition. It's not to say there's anything wrong with it, but the cost for a month's tuition of Math for me was like $200+, which is about $2k a year.



I think tuitions are overrated in singapore, whats the point of having a good education system, and then have these expensive additional classes which cost more? i think school teachers have the responsibility to help students and not assume they are all going to know everything just cuz they have a tuition teacher.

Answer 26

Yes, no doubt about it. The field will never be level with the growing difference in families income gap. The ones that could afford tuition benefits from having additional attention on their understanding of their school works. Those that cannot afford continues to be neglected, not because their parents want to, but the parents just could not find enough time due to work commitment. Finding family life and time is easier said than done. Minister Ng probably has lost quite a bit of touch with the ground saying those words. Hope some ministers will bring him back to earth.

Answer 27

As a secondary one student from Raffles Institution, the school everyone says is best, I have a hard time keeping up with the others. Many students in school are quite rich,and my family is considerable rich. I actually found out that some students spend 800 dollars on each subject before their PSLE. As my schedule is quite busy, I rush what I do so I can make it to go to tuition centre( no time for home tuition).Even after spending 1000 dollars on tuition, I still find myself lagging behind others who has home tuition because the school's syllabus is much higher than the outside. Just the normal school fees for my school is almost 400 dollars, how would the poor afford tuition.

Answer 28

i can clearly remember how little the tuition has helped me. i think many time it is how well the child has been brought up, and how Intelligent the child is born with. But parent like to put credit to the tuition teacher to justify the money they spent.



i have private tution teacher (come to home type) from primary 3 to Secondary 3, for almost all the subjects taught in school. But i only have average result in an average neighbourhood school. Not because i am not smart, but because i love to play, rebellious, not paying attention at school and not doing all the home work from tution teacher. My parent change tution teacher every year when they did not see my result improve.



Many of my classmate who do not have any tution teacher have the same or better result than me in O level. But in Polytechnic, when i decide that i can actually do it myself, i get up to 4 A and 2 distinction every year without any tuition class.



It comes down to whether the student himself wants to study first. All student wants good result, but just how many are willing to sacrificed their enjoyment, put the whole heart in study since day 1 of the semester till the end of the exam? - Student that are brought up well can do this even if their family is poor.

Study 24hrs a day a few weeks before exam is not the correct study method. Force feeding by giving lots of tution may not yield good result either.

Answer 29

I think having tuition will give the student an advantage. Furthermore, I feel that some teachers expect students to have tuition so that they dont have to spend more energy teaching and making sure students understand and learn the subject. To level the playing field, I hope MOE will consider to reduce the student : teacher ratio i.e. so that students can learn better and have more teacher's attention, have all schools to be full day i.e. conduct tuition in school after school lessons or let students do homework in school or cca etc. In this way, all students will have the same tuition classes and all students will have no time for private tuition.

Answer 30

That is a question that is like a double-edged sword answer. On one hand you can say those who are receiving tuition may do better than those who didn't. However there are also lots of real-life experiences of students with absolutely no external tuition who can do even better than those who had them.



I guess it all boils down to the family's upbringing. A student with good family upbringing with positive outlook in life will certainly do much better than a student without. When I was growing up, I didn't attend any tuition. I've done well so far in school and did not fail any subjects. My children did not go for tuition till they were primary four. Prior to that they were also doing very well in school. One of the reason we decide to put them into tuition school, not private tutor, is to firstly expose them to more effective ways of learning and also to help them enlarge their circle of friends. Their result has improved but not by leaps and bounds.



Different child has different learning abilities and growth. We have to allow them the time to groom themselves academically and physically. Our role as parents and teachers are to point them in the right direction and lead them in the right path, encouraging learning along the way. By doing so, children don't really need tuition. All they need is the opportunity to learn and they can learn from lots of sources.

Answer 31

I think asking if having tuition is unfair for poorer families is the wrong question. Only in Singapore is tuition so widespread. The whole idea of going to school is so that kids can get an education. If tuition becomes the norm rather than the exception, what does that say about our education system? Why aren't kids learning effectively in schools? We need to re-examine at our school system and ask what's not working.

Answer 32

The uneven playing field is undeniable.



While having tuition is not the only way to ensure academic success, it is one of the most efficient and fastest.



True, students who are self-directed learners and hardworking are able to make up for the lack of understanding through self-revision and consultation with teachers. But having tutors is like having your personal teacher on call.



In schools were each teacher is assigned to handle more than 160 students, it is not possible for him/ her to give personal attention to every one of them. Hence, those who truly need help, and could not reach their teachers, due to whatever reasons, and yet cannot afford to hire tutors, they will be at the worse end of things.



These are the children from poorer families.



By stating that the playing field is even, the Minister has again demonstrated the detachment from reality that the upper echelons have more recently been displaying.



The difference between private tutors and school teachers in terms of students' learning is the personal attention afforded. While it cannot totally close the gap, one way is to reduce the class size in public schools; greater hiring is necesary and work satisfaction is required to reduce the turnover.



While they are engaged in ridiculous campaigns like for 'love shy' Singaporeans, and trying their best to increase the population, maybe it is time for them to think about whether we can deal with the population increase when it happens.

Answer 33

What is the definition of Education? Well I got these from a general search on the internet.



"the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life."



Are we talking about Education or are we talking about competition to be number 1. What I don't understand is why do we put our children through these ****. So what if they score number 1 and are super intelligent and be better than everyone else.



So that they can be super arrogant and abusive to others because they hold top position in a job and can TCSS?



What uneven playing field are we discussing here? Does Education even suppose to be encompassed within a form of a perimeter?



I was taught by my teacher so many years ago to understand what we have learned and understand what essence of what have been taught and apply them to our daily life.



What's with the tuition anyway? So we put our children through the cycle of tuition and enrichment class and drama and piano class etc.... So my question here is.... is these the children wish and passion to want to learn and go through all these OR it is our own SELFISH way to deprive them of a childhood.



Bottom Line - Create a society of High IQ individuals with Low EQs....What a joke.

Answer 34

This is a very cruel and practical world. What is fair and equality?



Rich parents can provide their children with better educational equipment like netbooks, digital encyclopedia and of course, one-to-one private tuition. With better environment and no worries, their children can have time to relax and even learn other things. Thus, further enrich themselves and have a better edge over their peers.



So where does a kid from a poor family stands? Some can't even afford to have balance healthy meals, less to say private tuition classes. Only choice they may have is from community based programmes where group tuitions are available at low cost. Still, there is a cost and some poor families may even forgo it as making ends meet is their priority. Some of these kids may even have to use their time after school to help their parents to earn their daily bread and butter.



Exceptional cases of children from poor families with talents, may make their mark if they're spotted and opportunity knocks on them. Otherwise, most children from poor families will not be able to compete fairly and equally with their peers.

Answer 35

I agree with some comments. It's the student's attitude that matters. The same concepts are taught to everyone in a class of similar ability (as most schools do banding of classes), if most pple understand but a student, shouldn't the student take initiative to clarify anything he/she's not sure with teacher or classmates after lessons or simply practise more?



Most teachers have the passion to teach. If u ask, I believe many WILL help. U dont ask and act as if u know the concepts well (like copying assignments), then of course ur result will tell the truth when test is here!



I know someone who has private Math tuition (twice a wk) but yet did not do well in that subject, not tt she is stupid/slow. She always stare blankly in class or refuse to copy down examples, cos she knows she can always rely on her tutor to teach her the topic again. She always wait for pple to feed her with answers/step-by-step working, sometimes even get the tutor to do it! To this young lady, she thinks that spending a few hundred, even a thousand bucks for tuition is nothing, as her parents can afford it. So this is an example where tuition is not critical for students to excel.



I heard this somehwere and I agree with the upbringing of children nowadays:

Ask them to study,

Gen-X would say "No!" but will still study.

Gen-Y would ask "Why need to?" but will do if rewards are waiting.

Gen-Z would ask "Why?" and want to get the rewards 1st before they get things done (sometimes get reward, things still undone!).

Answer 36

Teachers in schools have been widely trained in order to cater and nurture the growth of students academically.

Instead of using the cynical perspective of whether the children comes from a poorer background or a richer background, parents should cater strong mindset to the child and reinforce the purpose attending schools to assure them with a better future. (Example: Paying attention in class and doing the homework conscientiously)

Having tuition is indeed a bonus, but if students have been conscientious and follow religiously to the teachers' instructions by doing and practicing their work. There is no reason how a child cannot excel without tuition.

Every lessons conducted in schools take high consideration to make sure that every child is attended to despite the size of a class.

Answer 37

Children from the poorer families can only compete fairly in school without tuition if either of their parents are school teachers. I am very sure that the top scholars in PSLE would have attended tuition somewhere during their Primary school years before they sit for PSLE.



School prepares the students well enough to pass the papers. However, if the child wants to score the PSLE, home support or tuition will also be required.

Answer 38

Hi there,



I am a part time tutor, not because I want money, but really see into the needs of the students. When they come to ask me to help, I will normally look through their school's materials and since i am working in the research field in NIE, I know those school's teacher's quality. Sadly to say, in order to excel for a youngster nowadays, however good in studying you are, a tuition will always add a plus in your academic. You will learn a lot better in a less stressful environment so long as you have a mentor next to you and guide you to your personal success.



Remember there are good teachers, but rare, since the teaching career is not a competitive job in Singapore. Also most of the teachers are being brain-washed in those institutes, therefore their thinkings might not be able to "channel-up" with the modern youngsters. There is no channelling, there is no flow of knowledge.



Of course from the news we always can find good cases, but are they majorities or minorities? What is the reality.. and in fact if you even need to ask this question, don't you think you already have the answer by itself?



Most of the normal schools can not help you to excel in your studies, you are on your own, but don't blame them, they have a lot of other things and other people to handle, shows to play, rubbish to clear.Just no time to zero into you, and when zero into you it is normally non-academic, it is more for disciplining.

Answer 39

I think tuition do play a part in student's performance.But there is students with tuition and yet they do not perform well in their examination! Because parent just do it becaue of the 'KAISU' attitude!



I think a lots depends on tuition center's quality !!!!!!!!!



But the question is why there is so many tuition center around? Teachers should be in school giving extra classes or tuition to the students instead of parent bring their childred around the whole Singapore looking for the best tuition teacher! I think every parent know that all tuition center's teacher come from MOE's school.



They are the best tuition teacher in tuition center. If they they the best, then they should be teaching childred in their own school !



If you approch a tuition center to ask for the CV of a tutuion teacher, probably the tuition center's staff will tell you that the teacher is a HOD or the teacher is from a very famous school!!!! And they will never reveal the true identities of the tuition teacher!



Why MOE allows teacher to take up extra class outside the school? So, either they can teach well in school or teach well in tuition center! MOE should tighten the rules of a teacher and a tution teacher.



They should either be in MOE's payroll or tution center's payroll.





My simple suggesstion is

1. that tuition center's teacher should be approved by MOE

2. they should assessed by MOE.

3. tuition center should openly displace the qualifictions / CV and approval certificte from MOE.



Without all this , we, as a parent may be misleaded and keeps thinking that only tuition is critical for our childres to excel.

Answer 40

As a private tutor, I find that private tuition isn't really for everyone. Different people have different needs, so some students do need more time to understand things, and this is where private tuition comes in. As for children from poorer families who cannot afford tuition, school teachers are always expected to provide extra lessons to students who need it. If the teachers cannot do so, then the school must provide alternatives, such as e-learning or supplements. Such measures are present to ensure every children is provided for.

Answer 41

It's really depends on the child. The child must learn to voice out his/her concerns in class as well as to the parents. It is true that not all parents have the knowledge to coach the child at home but if the parents try to instill good attitude in the child for instance to concentrate in class and to voice out any doubts, it will help in the learning. Whether the child comes from a rich or poor family, it really doesn't matter much so long the child is determine to do well and know the purpose.



In tuition center or private tutoring or in school, teachers should be able to differentiate the strong and weak students. Of course, the core syllabus has to be taught. But teachers should be creative to excel the students further. For instance, a stong student to excel 20% beyond his capability by engaging in challenging questions which are to enhance his thinking. A weak student to exceed his capability by 20% by engaging in standard questions which are to enhance his understanding and thus grasp the topics much better. Core questions have to be done by both good and weak students but there should be another set of questions catering to these 2 groups. The teachers have to be fair in managing these 2 groups and explain the rationale behind in order to avoid misunderstanding among the students.

Answer 42

Students who have tuition have an added advantage. Yes definitely parents of students who are not able to pu aside money for tuition classes may not do as well as they potentially can. The truth of the matter is most teachers in school hardly really teach the subject. For example in Math they go through asample sum and then just give children lots of worksheet to practicce. Children get errors but no one monitors if the child does the corrections at all.For English the students just keep learning by vocab by rote.Grammar structue is harrdly explained.Root of problem is teachers don't teach parents pay for tuition teacher to 'teach'.

Answer 43

Absolutely, tuition is certainly effective and essential especially for weaker students who do not comprehend certain concepts. My 4 children are very good examples and they benefitted well from home tuition. I also have seen weaker students improved tremendously after having private tuition. The tuition fees should be kept at a reasonable level for poorer families. I can't deny the fact that tuition fees are getting higher and a bit overboard.



It depends on how disciplined and how much effort that children from poor families are willing to put in.

Answer 44

MOE, Schools, teachers, students, and parents have a part to play in educating our students. We should load the responsibility too heavy onto anyone of the components.



MOE may review the class size, quality of teachers, how to motivate and provide recognition to good teachers.Teachers to play their part in not just 'teaching' but to teach with a conviction. Try to make a difficult subject easier to understand. Parents to encourage and provide support to their children. Not every student have equal intelligence and their rate of understanding and absorbing the subject matter. So parents must have a realistic expectation of their children. So too are the teachers expectation on their students.



Tuition is to supplement or to close the gap for the student when they are weak in the subject. For those who wish to have an even playing field, then MOE should have standard test for all schools. Every student should be tested with the same set of question papers throughout Singapore !



Teachers sometimes set questions that are out of syllabus to test how wide the student had dealt into the subject matter. This weightage of such questions should be minimum in the larger questions as a whole. So there again, for those better students, in order to even excel further they may need additional guidance....and hence tuition ! This things go on and on.



It is impossible to have a level playing field. With tuition, the gap can be close between the better students and those lesser. Let it be know that those intelligent student needed less time and effort to understand. Those who are lagging need to compensate by working harder. There is no other easier way with or without tuition.



Have a thought for those parents who are not so educated too, they too wanted to help their children. So the only resort is to provide tuition for their children. All parents are the same regardless of background. For those who are educated, they too wanted their children to excel further. Ask ourselves how many of those educated parents can really teach and tuition their children, usually not. Not even teachers or tuition teachers themselves, it is easier to teach or tuition other peoples children than our own !

Answer 45

My son's maths teacher is super lazy. She falls behind in her teaching schedule, is constantly on MC and seems to be pregnant every other year. A lot of exercises were not tackled, and when I found my son could not solve some of the stuff he should have been taught by now, I knew I had no choice but to get outside help. It is a fact that those who rely solely on this teacher are going to fall behind. The results during the mid-year assessment bore this out. Those w/o outside help (tuition) were the low scorers. One parent was fed up enough to complain to the principal, and that was when the teacher was changed and the replacement was made to post updates on what has been covered. Education is supposed to be a great social leveller, but see what is happening in the schools. Many kinds of the lazy and slackers out to take full advantage of the benefits of a government job are jumping in. Of course to be fair, there are also very good and dedicated teachers, just like the form teacher of my other son. If MOE does not tackle this problem, then truly those who from financially disadvantaged backgrounds will not be able to break out of this.

Answer 46

(1)Check out how theTuition centers a.k.a. Enrichment Centers do their aggressive marketing these days.



(2) Check out how much " CELEBRITY" " Super Tutors" are charging for an hour



(3) Check out how full their classess are , some even put u on a wait list that u will never see any hope of getting any feedback, at least 1staff from a reputable tuition center was frank enough to tell me "dun need to wait, we already hv other parents in the queue for more than a year !! "



Everything is about studying way way ahead , being prepared for "GIFTEDNESS" , being an OLYMPIAN in their academic results.



Kids have no life , no childhood , not enough outdoor play ,not enough manners , not enough moral education , no respect for others( some even to parents ,as long as they get good grades , parents take a back seat on emphasising on these important virtues)



Personally, I feel that education here is too linear style ( boring .....text and more text , rushing to finish assessments after assessments.



Classes are too big ,teachers are overloaded with task and acheivements I am beginning to see a total lack of passion for teaching.



My son's teacher even pleaded with the class to ask their parents to sign on the worksheets so that she can have time for her own daughter.



Teachers handling such a big class usually end up using more than 50% of their curriculum time disciplining the class or chasing after lost worksheets, giving out worksheets , writing all the homework on the whiteboard , giving out reminders after reminders about certain new tasks and outstanding tasks/ homework..... SO WHERE IS THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STUDENTS??



So when the teachers are behind time , they jus skimp thru the topic and throw lots of homework at a go.





If i am a student in this era , and need to go thru this vicious cycle with every subject teacher that comes in for everyday , 5 days in a week ..... I wld probably hate school and shut down. ( not to mention more tuition class after school.



Basically , a student only has time for essentials like having his meals , taking a shower , travelling , sleep. The rest of his day is dedicated to school and tuition.



Education should be HOLISTIC , so much talk about HOLISTIC but little done , maybe forgotten ?? I wonder when can we start to educate our new generation in a more indepth engaging and fun way and at the same time mould them to be future leaders to serve the country.



Put academic capability aside, what good attributes do children have these days?? Are they ready to take on the fast changing world? I don't think so , their minds are not creative enough , not enough exposure to real life problem solving. General knowledge is also lacking , personality is either too shy or too loud . Are they taught to be gracious , or ARE THEY JUST THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE KIASU COMMUNITY?



There is a need to hve a major evolution in the way we educate our kids for tommorrow's world.

Answer 47

Who is to blame?

1. The Education System (MOE ),

2. The Schools

3. The Parents or

4. The Students

Ans. No. 1 . The Education System - Streaming in Primary School. Principals because of grading of Sec. Schools put pressure on students and thus students whose parents can afford always have the upper hand because of the better tutors and tuition.

Answer 48

" Teach less, Learn More" is viable only for a handful of smart students who take responsibility in their studies. That handful happens to be rare in primary schools. Children in SG nowadays are raised like "helpless babes".



Private tuition is meant to supplement schoolwork. Being able or unable to afford it is not the crux of the matter. There are free tuition classes conducted by charitable groups.



Money cannot replace a dull brain with a brilliant one; money cannot cure Down's syndrome, ADHD, autism, epilepsy, etc. Money cannot bring a dead person to life again though it may prolong the duration of dying.



MOE has done well in constantly drafting and promoting an all-rounder education. Even with the top chefs, appropriate utensils and conducive environment, it takes the right ingredients to produce creme de la creme.

Answer 49

A child who is given tuition from an early age does not learn to be a resourceful, independent learner. The tutor would provide all the facts, materials, questions, explanation and answers. If the child doesn't make an attempt to try to solve a problem and waits long enough, the tutor will provide the answer. This does not encourage the child to think, show effort and develop persistence in solving problems. If you are going to use a tutor, you should find one who will encourage the child to move out of his comfort zone to be curious, ponder, read, research and reflect on the subject matter. Your tutor will work himself out of his job as your child becomes an independent self-learner, motivated by his own successes and taking pride in honing skills he has acquired. A not-for-profit tutor is what you should be looking for. A tutor who takes on large groups or who is over-committed usually targets students who are already capable of scoring high grades. Children who are not of that calibre will drop out of the class with even lower self-esteem. Choose wisely if you are going to use a tutor at all. Not all children need tuition. Nor do they need it for every subject at every stage. If your child is a high-achiever and has had the benefit of having good tutors, do remind him that those who have not achieved as much in life in terms of receiving prestigious scholarships or having great careers might have done as well or better if they had had the same opportunities.

Answer 50

Of course NOT. At least the Ministry can look into it as students from poorer families do have their bright side but have no chance to enhance themselves via good and expensive tuition which ends as low grade for them. As now a day students cannot rely on learning in school and depends on homework only. The education now becoming more tough for the student.

Answer 51

I went through my formal education without tuition. My parents cannot afford such a commodity. I did struggle. No, I struggled a hell of a lot to get through my 'O' s and 'A' s, especially in subjects like Physics and Mathematics. Still, I did not score worse than my peers who gets tutoring. I was always one to take a step back and explain topics to myself. In the long run, that is the kind of independence that you will need when you start on your graduate studies (I am working on my PhD right now). So, yes, I agree with one of the previous answers: Hard work pays.



That was years back, before kids start learning about cellular respiration and what-nots at Primary School. With the constant changes in our education system now, I sometimes wonder if what Ng Eng Hen is saying is right. Nevertheless, I stand by the idea that some of the answers here have provided: that it boils down to the individual kid.



If anything, this coming from being a tutor myself, tuition tends to breed an attitude of complacency and dependence in a lot of students. The kids I tutor come from well-to-do families and have had tutoring all their educational lives. When I first took them in, they have about them an air of self-victimization in the sense that they think that the teachers do not teach at their pace because there are too many students in the class. It leads them, I believe, to not focus in class. Tuition is suddenly like an investment where you have something to bank on when things go over your head in class (which is often). So I refuse to be a spoon-feeder when I tutor. No going through an entire chapter or unit. No exam tips and I don't do last minute run-throughs before an examination. I communicate. I constantly tell the students, "Now, tell me, what's this about?" It stumped them at first, but in time they actually force themselves to listen in class and be able to explain things to me. Where I see they are wrong, I will point them towards the correct answer.



It is the same with a lot of kids. "Oh, what did the teacher say? I don't know. Nevermind lah. Have tuition what." I hate it. And on the other side of the same coin, there are other students who are saying, "I can't get through this because I don't have a tutor like the rest of my peers."



Bullcrap. And it hurts sometimes to see parents scrimp and save to fork out the huge amounts of cash to fork the payments even though they are working in factories or taxi-drivers just to give their kids some semblance of a running chance in education. Seriously, kids do your parents a favour and haul those skimpy asses. I see most of you hogging library space to chit-chat on the pretext of studying and wandering shopping centers after school anyway. "Got tuition whaaaaat."

Answer 52

Being a parent and although not exactly poor (depends on your definition of what poor means in Singapore), it is unfortunate that a child without some form of tuition whether in the form of coaching from parents, relatives or tutors does place the child in a disadvantages position compared to his / her peers who receive tuition.



The fact of the matter is for as long as our education system places great emphasis on classroom tests and examinations, tuition (regardless of who conducts the tutoring) becomes a necessity for our children. It is obvious!



I received an overseas education but because the system placed more emphasis on group work which required self research and discovery, I had no need for tutors and became an independent learner. Learning was fun (on hindsight) and it served me well as I entered the workforce some 20 years ago.

Answer 53

I think the rich will have a better chance than the poor. Just look at my son's class in West Grove Primary School. Mid year result for maths for the whole class is "None" had passed the subject. I confirmed with other pupils and another student also indicated that none from his class passed maths.



This is a neighbourhood school where most parents are not rich. I kept thinking will this happen to a school like RJC or RI, where whole class failed their maths. I don't think so. I had posted the same question to the principal and she was unable to answer me.



As such, my conclusion is that rich had an advantage from the poor as they have more resources to provide the best for their children. Whereas the poor can't affort it.



In my personal opinion, I beleive Ministry of Education is aware of it but chose to ignore the problem / facts. After all, their children are not affected. Most of them are in good schools.

Answer 54

Of course it create an uneven playing field especially for average kids and will be a disadvantage to the poor families who can afford tuition for their kids. Especially when streaming, gifted programme, IP etc start at an early age in Singapore education system. Surely kids who have tuition at an earlier stage in their life will have an advantage.In this continues,the richer ( not necessarily the smarter ) will get richer and poorer will struggle to be successful.

Answer 55

It looks like all of us are so into the thought that private tuition is a must for our children to excel in their schools. I know of some people who are sending their children to 2 or 3 different tuition centres so that they can excel or be in par with their peers. But have we given a thought of these children's childhood? They are so stressed out with school work plus now different tuition and tuition homework. Sometime they attended tuition centre which are no different from school, 1 teacher teaching 40-50 students. They want them to be the best or do better then the others. Yes, all of us want our children to do well. But at whose expense? Yes we pay the money..but they are paying with their child hood. My sons were going thru the same routine, my ex wife had them attended tuition almost every single day..including weekends at a tuition centre. Whenever I am back in Singapore and my boys are with me..I notice they finish school at @ 1.30, then they have extra classes till 3 or 4 pm and once they are home they have hardly enough time to rest and they start doing their school and tuition home work and at 6.30 tuition starts till about 8.30 or 9pm. Time for dinner and to bed. Same rountine everyday and on weekends Tuition in the afternoon and evenings. The kids hardly have anytime for any other thing..they are exhausted by end of the evening..how much can they concentrate??..Why is our society & education system putting so much pressure on our children..when are they going to enjoy their childhood days. Studying seems like a full time job the kids have to start the moment they reach 4yrs old. Studying is not fun anymore for them!!

Answer 56

Children from poorer families will definitely be able to compete fairly without attending tuition. In fact, haven't we read many outstanding students (academically and other fields) who come from not so well to do families background? I believe they put in loads of hard work to achieve so much. Not being finanically-able could be a blessing in disguise; these students have lesser distractions like material needs (music players, psp, iphones, computers) and since they don't have the access to external help like tuition, they learnt to be more attentive during lessons, more consistent in their work and make it a point to be depending largely on their own ability and school teachers' help. Moreover, students regardless of family background are given equal opportunities to excel in schools.



With increasing affluence, having tuition for EVERY possible subject seems to be part of many students' life. It's not unusual for a student to have 3 - 4 different tuitions. This syndrome has somewhat created students who're overly reliant on their tutors. I'm a current Math Trainer for 'O' Level students and I always encourage students to attend tuition only if they're facing great challenges in the subject despite putting in personal effort and getting school teacher to help. Attending tuition could help to provide another perspection to learning. Once the student regains his confidence to cope with the subject, he does not need to depend on tuition instead he should self - learn or spend the free time, doing things he enjoy. This creates a more rounder person and a more enriching learning experience.

Answer 57

if the student maintain an inquistive mind, and never stop finding the answer, I think he can still compete.

The teachers of today are very different from the past. No more patience teaching. All they do is to give the anwers and ask the students to digest themselves. Sometimes no explanation were given.

My children always come to me for explanation.



It's a sad thing that you send your kids to school and they don't really get the teaching. The teachers actually expect either the parents or the tuitors to go through with students assignments.

If the students do not have any assistance, then Good Luck to Them!

Sad....sad....

Answer 58

In the first place, the school system should be examining students based on what they have been taught within the syllabus. Teachers in the schools would have taught students everything that is required in the syllabus including challenging questions. The actual exams should not contain questions which defer from what students have been taught. In fact, the exam paper can be structured to have a few unusual questions towards the end of the paper to distinguish between the very good students from the rest but they should not be more than 3 to 5 questions in the paper.

Answer 59

Currently, there are excessive amount of time spent on non-examination activities in schools (wayangs). Teachers have insufficient time to concentrate on teaching students for examinations. Teachers are forced to do wayangs for the sake of making the P, HOD, school, MOE look good otherwise the teacher’s performance grades and income would suffer.



Supposing tuition ban are effected and strictly enforced and schools continue to wayang at the perils of students’ academic pursuits and examinations. It will not be difficult to imagine the consequent examination results.



Look at the crowds at tuition centres around the island. This obviously shows that the present education system fails to provide the core and basic service which is one of the main reason why schools exist. The teachings done at tuition should be done by school teachers at school but teachers and students are kept busy doing wayangs.



When students score well for their examinations, credits go to the schools and not the private tutors. MOE is having the cake and eating it. They get credit for wayangs and for good results which are often due to private tuitions. Hence no effort to stop the tuition business and the wayanging carries on merrily.

Answer 60

If wanted to say to compete fairly in school without having tution, this is valid for SOME students only. For some students who from the poorer families, they do not have the money to hire tutors. Yes , indeed some students could excel without tutions, but how many of them actually? Even if they excel, are they possible to "win" this "competition" with those who have tutions? And for some subjects, students have to score a mark higher than the so-called "75 = A1" to get the real "A1" in the 'O'lvls this is obvious that the students in prestigious schools and students receiving tutions will benefit. Some of the parents cannot help in their children's academic, and couldn't afford to hire tutors, what will happen to them in the future?

Answer 61

Education is about getting to know something or getting the knowledge of doing something RIGHT. It comes in stages - from basic to professional levels ie. Primary to tertiary to post-graduate.



I must say that our local education is going on such basis; and TESTING students across-board and on a broad based of subjects for their results and performance rating purpose. This done on consideration that ALL student - young or old, are enthusiastic enough to keep our curiosity in learning what we like to learn. Hence, ALL students are given a very broad base of subjects to learn the basics (in primary schools) and then focus at what we are interested to learn and acquire the skill sets for our career - if we can graduate from the University.



I do not think MOE and the schools themselves are interested in knowing whether a particular set of students with poor performance and ratings will affect the generation of elites or sub-normal society. This is because they have enough problems getting the right people even doing the teaching right. Also by the norm, also 60% of students will do pretty well and able to go forward to next level. The other 40% will STREAM, continue to be educated on skill basis and fill certain sector of labour.



Nevertheless, even if we can get more people are to graduate at tertiary level; we may not be able to get jobs here for too long. Therefore, people (and parent), get ready to work outside Singapore very soon.



For those still seeking help to get additional tuition for our children, I would rather you spent more time at home guiding your children how to seeking out answers through researching from the library and web. Also remember to disconnect (better still discontinue) the cable TV services and cut our children mobile phone so that they are not distracted from such devices.



However, by taking these actions, we are likely to create another problem - Telco will start to have less revenue. Hence, shareholders will have less dividends... and those existing users will suffer because the Telcos will start raising the monthly subscriptions.... hahhahahaaa

Answer 62

Good quality tuition is not the only factor. A simplistic formula shall be:



Good Grades = Good Teachers + Conducive Study Environment + Family Support/Encouragement + Tuition + Motivation + Intelligence + Hard work + Resources (such as Ten Years Series, Sample Model Answers, etc)

Answer 63

In S'pore, it's a rat race. Those who are quicker, will get the cheese. As a result, our children suffer because of these expectations. Whatever the system is, it's all crap.



Children of the rich families certainly had advantages over the poor ones. Unless the rich brat refuse to study. Only a handful of poor kid-geniuses have a fighting chance. How can we be assured that there will be no uneven playing field? The answer, in this society, it is always uneven.

Answer 64

Yes very crucial, as today there are too many students in one class. Only a handful of students can excel without tuition. Student from rich family gets the best education, they get the best tuition teacher and on top of that their parents can afford to spend few hundred Ringgit on tuition.Some even hire one to one tuition teacher that cost RM800 per month.The average tuition cost for secondary school nowadays cost around RM70, that mean if you take chemistry,math, additional math, account, physics it would cost RM300. Imagine if the parents have 4 children s.





One of the reason why many Chinese students can perform well is that they get the best education,their parents can afford to pay the best tuition teacher.





The problem with our teachers in our school is that when they teach subject like Math, students who have learned the topic with their tuition would be able to understand the topic, while students who have not learn the topic would struggle to grasp the concept. Different student have different level of understanding. So the problem is that the teacher will think that those students that understand the topic are classify as smart while those who doesn't understand it as dumb.



Those people who work in Education ministry should the sit in the class with the students (be as one of the students without the teacher knowing it ) for at least one month and observe the situation so that they can identify and understand the real problem. You will not understand the problem if you are not a students,you must see it from a student perspective.





If I'm the Minister of Education what i would do is that i implement a system whereby students choose they own teachers. Teacher wages are paid by the students on top of some basic salary that is paid by the goverment.

In this system students would give a certain amount of voucher whereby they will pay the teacher using this voucher,and this voucher can be exchange for money just like money order. With that the teachers will need to be creative and give their best to their student in order to earn money.The goverment should spend more money on the students rather than the teachers.





https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20100521051713AAgaut2

Answer 65

Tuition is for those who need help as they may be slower learners in the classroom. For the average child, if he/she is attentive in class and is able to follow the teacher, then tuition is not necessary.

Parents should not think that paying large sums of money to tutors will guarantee A grades. I know of a group of teachers who have always given tuition only to weak students who have not been able to get help from their teachers in school because the teacher has to deal with 35 - 40 students in each class. Such students need individual attention esp for the more difficult topics. So parents, please stop stressing your children with tuition after tuition..

Answer 66

The education system is overstressing the local kids with an overbearing education system! Come on man, it's too fast for the poor kids to comprehend! For goodness sake, give the poor kids a childhood life, unlike all the bloody idiot minister's crappy bullshits about trying to follow the overseas creative systems giving the kids a better education system! They're being moulded into a nation of 4 eyed bonkers! Look at the guys on the road and in the shopping malls, look at the behaviour of the idiots eating in the restaurants, look at the way they talk, their action, etc! The Kiasu attitude of the MOE to want the kids to excel in all area of the Olympic's education system is causing local parents with increased Kiasu attitude. Instead of we becoming a cultured civilisation, we're now a nation worse than barbarians!

Answer 67

The tuition system is consistent with one of key pillow of Sigapore: meritocracy. Rich people can exent the financial influence by providing next generation better education so that they are in better postion to win future competition. Fair enough while the point is: why can't school offer a longer time for pupil's study since students have to have 2nd round at either home of private tuition. Shouldn't we consider the thrive of tuition mirrors the failure of Sinapore's junior education system?

Answer 68

The key to excellence is not whether you have the advantage of tuition or not. Rather, it is in the child who has the "want" to excel.



If the child has the desire to do well, whether or not he/she has the opportunity for tuition, there are other avenues available to them such as asking for help from the school teachers, the library and/or seeking assistance from his/her peers.



I am sure that in every school, the teachers are more than happy to accommodate the children who are willing to strive for better results, and will help in providing extra classes after school if need be. After all it is also a testament to the teacher's commitment to be a great educator and get good results for his/her students.

Answer 69

Let's face the reality! Do you really think tuition does not help the students to get better results? If your answer is no, then i think our society had wasted and is wasting enomous amount of money, time and resources in tuition. That being said, obviously students from poor families cannot compete for academic excellence with sudents whose parents could afford them tuitions. These includes parents with the ability who sacrifice their own time in tuitioning their own children.



Of course, there are students from poor families who can still progress on average in school and become useful contributing citizen later in life but to achieve academic excellence without the extras these days, is as good as saying we can eat well and live well like everyone else regardless of rich or poor, we are all equal.



I think it is time we think critically on issue like this one! What is the reality?





Tan CG

Answer 70

For those of you (especially Maths Teacher) who say that there is no difference between the poor and the rich, let me give you a student's opinion on this...

Maths Teacher, you said: "Not being financially-able could be a blessing in disguise; these students have lesser distractions like material needs (music players, psp, iphones, computers) and since they don't have the access to external help like tuition, they learnt to be more attentive during lessons, more consistent in their work and make it a point to be depending largely on their own ability and school teachers' help." What I feel is that the poor are more affected by the material needs (or lack of it) and peer pressure. Also, when they don't have the access to external help like tuition, most of them don't even want tuition in the first place...as for being attentive during the classes, some even (because of the lack of tuition or for other reasons like low family income) they 'heck care' about their studies

Answer 71

There is a huge demand for tuition nowadays, it is not only because some students who are weak needs this help to improve their grades but also because there are some high-flying students who can afford to pay for tuition to stay on top on the playing field and score higher grades than their peers that causes this phenomenal. In Singapore, where we function by meritocracy, is the first step to unfairness and an uneven playing field.



Why do I say that?



It is due to the fact that based on our merits that some of us are rich and unfortunately, some of us are not so rich. What this means is that some of them would have the ability to pay for tuition classes for their children and some are not.



Many of us need tuition classes because these days, the teacher to student ratio is just far too large for conducive and effective learning. Not to say that nobody benefits from lessons, but it is more difficult for students to clarify doubts and learn their concepts as well as they ought to. Hence, i feel that tuition classes these days are becoming like a neccesity. As the concepts and academic syllabus gets harder, its inevitable that some students need tuition, that includes me. Therefore, students who can afford to pay for tuition would definately benefit more and have a comparative advantage over the others as they learn ahead of their peers.



However, poorer families who cannot afford pricely private tuitions can opt for group tuitions which is slightly cheaper or children can seek consultations from their teachers in school which is free. However, consultations are rather hard to conduct as students have hectic schedules and teachers are also very busy which makes it hard to find a common time slot to do so. It is actually up to the individuals to drive their own learning. It is not fair to say that they would totally lose out in the playing field of education but they would be slightly disadvantaged as children/ students from humble background may fall into the vicous cycle of discouragement as they do not do well in their school and hence give up totally on their studies as they do not have the support and help they need.



On the other hand, the students who can pay would not fall into that cycle as they can seek attention from their private tutors immediately, making them more confident and be able to achieve better grades.



The playing field would never be fair, what the MOE should do is to make it fairer to all and provide quality education to all regardless of what background or school you come from.

Answer 72

The private tuition business is so lucrative that teachers earn more giving tuition than from their salaries. This is true especially at junior college level. So a significant percentage of junior college teachers deliberately teach in a superficial manner in school so that students need private tuition to understand their subjects.



Thus poorer students who cannot afford private tuition and who are compromised by such teachers in school perform worse than their richer classmates.



School teachers ought to be graded according to how well their students understand their subjects to weed out this problem.

Answer 73

Which country that you can think of have pre-schooler tuition?

I am not the kiasu mum but I need to give my kids for tuition on phonics before they started P1. Else if they cannot read in P1, do you think they can follow in the class.



You go and ask Singaporean parents, how many % do not need to send their kids to English and or chinese tuition before P1 ?

We are not rich people but still it is a neccesity to pay for tuition fees.



Children is stress by the education system evern before they enter to P1.

Do you think there is nothing wrong with MOE ?

They push the children to excel in school and how many university places are reserved for local?

A poor hardworking student who is unable to get a place in the University...will end up...working then studying night class (ITE and etc) and got to pay up the loan from bank / CPF. Then where got money to get marry and have kids ? Don't you think this is not tally with the GOV direction?

For the richer student, if unable to get a local University, nevermind, the rich parent can send him overseas. At the end when he comes back to S'pore he will still get a better job.



Agree?

Answer 74

Tuition seems critical these days because of the "Teach less, learn more" motto from MOE. Where else can the students get " Teach MORE and learn More" other than the tuition centres and getting private tuition? Needless to say, those who can afford are at a better advantage... If " Teach less, learn more" works, why then are many students running to tuition.Is it because what's taught in schools is insufficicent?

Answer 75

this is very contentious as u can see a equal no. of ppl standing for both sides actually. personally, i am one of the few with no tuition in my class and i don't really see the need to it because the time i spend alone studying actually justifies the time my frens spend in tuition. i think learning should be a self-motivated and self-sustained process where you do it in your own time, on your own. even if the government wants to help you now with tuition there is really no guarantee/ possibility that the government can continue to finance for the rest of you life. we as students have to be independent learners. moreover there is never a levelled playing field in the world some ppl just have an edge, be it an innate ability or a external factor, over others. thus we should all try to depend on ourselves and be optimistic. we can always turn this "disadvantage " into a driving force to excel and surpass our frens who might have a bit more guidance than us:) another note to the anxious parents is that we should allow our kids to perhaps fall back a bit so that they can hit the floor hard and,who knows, they might just rebound and top the nation:)



please do not get offended, its just my honest and humble opinions:)

Answer 76

No, tuition is just an extra burden on children. They already have too much to study for their age and pressurising beyond that is very wrong. Children can study well only when they have enough rest to their brains. Rest doe not mean playing computer games, x-box, watching T.V. Complete rest means playing in the playground with friends gives them energy, concentration and overall improves their attitude and health.



Studying after school hours loses their interest in studies. Anything is done forcibly, you would hate it the most. Similarly when you force children to study, they will not have any more interest in it.



So let your children play and as a parent go through what happened in the school and revise them. That would be the key to your children's success.

Answer 77

I fully agree that additional private tuition do to a certain extent helps the student to reinforce and better understand what had already been taught in school. However, whether the student will excel in his/her studies also depends on how academically inclined he/she is.



While the tutor can help the student to 'catch up' with the progress of the class, the student's own efforts and correct learning attitude will eventually determine the degree of success he/she can achieve in his studies.



Children in poorer families who had a good learning attitude and determination to succeed can also do well in school. I felt that the moral support given by their parents and a good learning environment at home is far more important than doing for private tuition.



Conversely, if a child has little interest in learning or not academically inclined, additional tuition may not be able to turn the tide over to enable him to achieve success in his studies.



A lot of schools nowadays conduct remedial lessons for the weaker students and this move I felt will benefit children from the middle to lower-income families to compete better with their peers from higher income families who receive tuition since they start schooling.



In life, every one needs to learn to adapt to the environment and the society we live in and this 'so-called competition to achieve academic success in school' is a starting point for our children now. Those who managed to 'survive in the competition' will be better able to adapt to society and their working life later on.



The message I would like to convey here is



"Give your best in whatever you do and adopt the correct attitude. You can eventually overcome the odds and emerged as the winner. Should you need help, you can seek for it in many ways and getting private tuition is only one of them. Forming small study groups with fellow classmates can be an economical and effective way to improve your grades too!

Answer 78

The practice of tuition is regarded by most parents as the way to good or better grades.

If EXCEL in the current debate is defined by being in the top of the cohort then clearly tuition is pointless for some. More important is to get the right kind of help for the child to facilitate learning better.

A child needs help with learning when:

1. He has no problems learning his subjects but lacks the focus and motivation to achieve better grades. No tutor can help him, he needs good counseling.

2. He has difficulty learning. He needs professional intervention.

3. He is learning well and gets good grades but parents want him to get even better grades. A good tutor can help to bring him to the next level.

Any of the above can be the case for any child whether rich or poor. More critical is whether a child is being assisted to learn and achieve his own level of excellence. This is of relevance to ALL children regardless rich or poor.

Answer 79

Yes. For example, Maths, students must adopt strictly according to the solving method from MOE, unlike our school times, we could use any method to solve the problems, it was more flexible. Some parents, like me could not teach our own children as we are not familiar with the "only method" from MOE. It is so inflexible. Reminds me of what I had experienced with the inflexible thinking of an ex-senior colleague in the government sector. Hopefully, our children will not be like that as they grow up in this teaching method. In this case, our children have to receive private tuition. Hence, it is unfair to the poorer families whose children really needs tuition.

Answer 80

Yes this is surely an disadvantage to poor families , hence stressful to our young student . May I said the school exam papers to test what is taught instead of what was not taught in class as I was told by the teacher when asked during the teacher -meet session , why the need of addition private tuition craze out of school .

Answer 81

The simple answer is yes. Because some of the teachers have taken the spirit of "teach less, learn more" to the extreme (of course there are always the Good, the Bad and the Urgly). I think the teaching job has gone to the tuition centres or the parents (if they can't afford it). I wonder what is a teacher's KPI.

Answer 82

Yes i say,poorer families student need a tution for supplement,I respect our Education Minister Ng Eng Hen, at lease he concern about singaporean student education, this is call GOOD GOVERMENT (PAP)only i hope if Mr Ng Eng Hen will look into it about Single Parent (Men) like me,maybe can help to give free tuition to my son at lease less my burden.cause private tuition very costly. and when i apply for MENDAKI tuition they say my pay hight,but i explain to them,they still say my pay hight, but they don't understand,i have to pay other thing, and i cant afford to send my son to private tuition to cosly,hopefully Minister Ng Eng Hen will look into it i as a single parent.

Answer 83

Personally, I feel that children from poorer families are certainly disadvantaged due to them not having tuition. I wonder what explanation can the Minister possible gives to assure the public that this has not already created an uneven playing field. My view is that, perhaps, he feels that that there's nothing the MOE can (or want to) do about it.



The MOE certainly cannot dictate that children cannot have tuition; and certainly the MOE is unable to provide funds to all children who cannot afford tuition, to have one.



However, I feel there's an aspect that the MOE should seriously consider, and that is disallowing their teachers to teach tuition. As far as I know, the MOE has no hard rules preventing teachers from doing so.



Teachers teaching tuition commands high fees and unless they are not to do so, I see this as one of the root causes of this situation. Parents who can afford it, will certainly want to engage teachers to provide supplementary education to their children.



Beyond the issue of tuitions causing uneven playing field, tuition also causes additional stress on children, higher cost of living for parents and additional stress to teachers. While teachers who teach tuition earns extra income, inadvertently, they will not be able to give their level best to their job.



Bottom line, I feel teachers should not be allowed to teach tuition. The extra attention that they provide to their tuition student and them having lesser time/effort to focus on improving their teaching in class causes uneven playing field.



I agree with perspectives that as parents, we want the best for our children and want to give them a headstart. I also agree that if the student puts in that extra effort, he/she will succeed; conversely uninterested students having the best tuition may not necessarily succeed.



But the issue here is, is tuition causing uneven playing field in the society? And in our current situation, does teachers teaching tuition aggravate the situation?

Answer 84

Unless the students are very determined and concentrated during the lesson or they have the initiative to do extra assessments, otherwise I doubt so (how many of them have such determination or persistence ?). Sometimes, the works given by the tuition class is quite challenging which might not provided by the school, then the students are open to different kind of exposures.

Answer 85

@TehKisHi well you're a teacher. so you're obviously siding with them. teachers walk into class, set homework, and just sit there without anything to do. Thy expect you to read up on your own, and call that "independent" learning, expecting you to 'learn more' this way. Students would obviously need tuition, especially if they aren't the kind who can do their own self study.

The MOE is pushing students too hard. Go to all the school talks, and you'll know why. Firstly, to enter certain courses in university, you need straight As. On top of that, you need good leadership, CIP hours, CCA credentials, certificates from all other aspects because they want 'all rounded' students. It is definitely easier to study with the help of a tutor, who can explain things the teacher hasn't taught, rather than to stare at the textbook and try to decipher it yourself.

Answer 86

I don't understand why tuition is necessary at all. If the student is weak in certain areas, he should approach his teachers and peers for help. Of course there are unmotivated students who can't be bothered to take the initiative to help themselves, which leads me to my point that tuition serves to be more of a disciplinary tool than an educational tool.



Parents are understandably unable to help much with their children's schoolwork due to things like work commitment, so they turn to sending them to tuition classes. Tuition forces the student to devote extra hours to revise their school work, which they can very well do so by themselves or with their friends. What does tuition offer? Clarifications of subject matter and more questions to practise on? Aren't these supposed to happen in school already? Parents should take the time to communicate with their children to find out where the problem lies. It could be that the school teachers are ineffective, the child is not motivated to study, or other reasons. Tackle the problem at its root instead of taking tuition as the convenient solution. This is not a problem with families being rich or poor. We have definitely seen many examples where children from not well to do families excel in school. It might be innate intelligence, but hard work, motivation and encouragement from loved ones play a huge role too.



Children are already getting increasingly busy with school-related activities, think twice about taking away more of their time for tuition. Education is so much more than getting good grades in school. Good grades might earn you a job placement, but you won't go far with grades alone. Self-initiated learning is so important in today's world, where the ability to think creatively matters a lot. Are we going to raise a generation of learners that have to rely on tuition to excel?



As a university student, it surprises me that many of the students place so much emphasis on practising past year exam papers, instead of focusing on understanding the knowledge that the course aims to impart; again we see how everything revolves around grades in Singapore. Some students who did extremely well in JC/Poly turn out to be substandard in university. (Sorry, no more tuition in uni.) We need to take a step away from the spoon-feeding nature of the education system here, and tuition worsens the situation.

Answer 87

It depends. No, if the child could do it on his or her own. Yes, if otherwise. However, the crux is that the child must be keen to learn. I have advised parents not to waste their money on tuition if the child is not. Motivation to excel must come from someone or somewhere - the child himself, his parents, teachers, tutors and even the government with its various awards. Many of my students have at one time or another received these awards. Clear targets must be set. Pupils who fail should first aim to pass; those who pass should aim for a higher grade; those with As should aim for A*s for PSLE, i.e. excel and finally those with A*s should maintain the good work that they have done. I believe that it is not difficult for an average student to pass the tests and examinations set by their schools. It, nevertheless, does take some additional hard work for most students to excel.

Answer 88

Tuition in my days..back in the 70's &80's... were meant for kids who were weak in their subjects. Nowadays.. tuition are for kids who's parents are the "kiasu" type.. whether rich or poor... But the worse case scenerio presented to parents like me, who do not believe in extra-tuition , is these "tuition is a must" mentality not by parents, but by the basic education givers... the teachers themselves, who I have seen first hand, more interested in attending their ever so often ungrading courses needed to get their all important rating needed by MOE for their next promotion, leaving their daily task to relieve teachers, who are just passing time before their next job, and the all important tuition teachers...who I see as not just helping student to reinforce what's being taught in school... but to actually teach the students what's not being taught properly in school.



So who's at fault... soul searching please ... especially the people at MOE...our education system now is more like a big commercial "home schooling", while the schools now function more like "tuition" centres .....I must say that there are still dedicated teachers who do take pride in their work and make sure their students are well taken care of academically and pyshically, but honestly... they are few are far in-between.

Answer 89

Honestly, this is alittle ridiculous ... it is such a personal topic and choice - if you want tuition by all means go ahead if YOU think it will help you, if not, just be yourself and do what you're destined to do and be. It is 21th century and people are free to do whatever they please within limits and the boundaries of the law. It is very subjective and what is good for you may not be good for another and the list goes on. Trouble is people are too "kiasu" from innate insecurity and total lack of wisdom. Education is important (foundation ground) but it is certainly NOT everything in the real world/working force.

Answer 90

Yes, it's critical for student. Poorer student doesn't mean they cannnot take any private tuition. There's alot tution centre with very reasonable price and giving free extra lessons to boost them before the exam. My tuition centre have alot of student from poor family. Because paying for their kids tuition fees, they work harder.



School teachers have knowledge but they need more than that, they need to have salesmanship.

Answer 91

I know of many children from lower income families doing even better than children from wealthier families. These poorer children know that in order for them to have the chance of getting out of poverty, they need to reverse the vicious cycle, ie study hard and land them in good jobs which pay more. There is no right or wrong in having tuition. I suppose all parents desire and wish to give their children a higher chance of success especially for parents who can afford it, they would not want to deprive their children of this chance. For families who can't afford it, I think the best way to teach their children is to let them realize the importance of education in hope for a better future.

Answer 92

Tuition is not necessary if children pay more attention in class, do their homeworks and have a scheduled study time at home. Children should utilise their teacher to the fullest by asking them questions whenever don't understand and it's a teacher's responsibility to help the children to pass the exams. Unless the child is mentally slow, paying for tutor is a addictional cost. Hiring tutor i heard is not cheap nowadays.

Answer 93

This whole discussion is dumb to start off with. What next? Start asking the minister to pass a law forbidding rich parent to buy cars for their children because it will create uneven playing field for the poor children to chase gals in school or forbidding rich parent to give $4000 a month as allowance as it will create uneven playing field when come to enjoy life?

Answer 94

I feel that nowadays children are too spolit and lazy.. Is true that maybe some teachers are not doing their jobs well, but i believe most of them is trying their best.. And whether a child can do well in his/her studies, depend on their behaviour. If the child is lazy, no matter how hard the teacher try to help, he/she will not do well.. So i think students' attitude are the most important. There is no such things, whether you are poor or rich. Is true that rich families' children might do slighty better than the poor families coz they have help from tutors. But i see that as long as the children is hardworking, there is no difference rich or poor..

Answer 95

Tuition is not a necessity if highly-educated parents know how to lead the child/children to success. In fact, the amount of time spent on tuition had taken the child's family time and social interaction opportunities with others. Tuition is more of a proof of parents' social status than of any value to the child/children who sometimes, are brilliant enough on their own. It has become a 'fashion' that if a child/children not found having tuitions or enrichment classes, the parents are poor and of lower status compared with others. This is also true for unrealistic parents who sent their child/children to prestigious schools, not knowing the child/children's inborn potentials, thus making the child/children suffer mentally and emotionally. I had taught child/children who emerged from poor to failed grades to top performing students. I think it's about the child/children's potential. It is not about racing with others to prove your financial wealth and child/children's grades. It's about grooming your child/children to be top performers of what they are made up of. You don't have to have good grades and yet can become a real success just by being good at what you are made for. If I were to compare a hawker's successful family with a well-off family's success, somehow; it makes you wonder if the power of money to buy anything on earth can make a child/children a successful person in future. You can't help but also to think of the university graduates who graduated with big titles but somehow, are not mentally prepared for the world...Is tuition everything? What I fear is my child can be brilliant in producing paper grades but will not be mentally,physically and emotionally prepared for the world which puts a lot of emphasis on it.

Answer 96

Yes, as long as they study hard and be a responsible students. It is not a guarantee that private tuition will make a student better. After all, what is important is for student to performed well after their bachelor's degree (or when they start earning for a living).



A true measure will come after school life on what what have you become...

Answer 97

We all have pour out our frustration. It is time, WE need answer from MOE.

• 40 students in one class. Can reduce to 20 students for teacher to monitor more efficiently with the student?

• Study has shown "Children who have enough sleep are capable to learn more". Can change school hour to 10.20am–4+pm? Right now, after school at 1+pm, can u imagine where they go? Shopping centre, void deck, parks, friend's house those parent are out at work, etc. They do weird thing. Smoking, etc... u imagine.

These are only 2 pointer I can think of. The public may have other pointer.

Please contribute. Thank you.

Answer 98

I feel that it really depends on the student him/herself. If it is possible for him/her to cope without tuition and yet still be able to learn and study well, tuition,obviously, is not needed. As for those who simply cannot learn as well, or just cannot understand what the teacher is saying, they certainly will need tuition so as to be able to learn as much as their peers and to be able to understand their subjects better.



Furthermore, students nowadays are piled with so much work and exams. Out of the ten weeks of each term, they have about 8 weeks with at least 1 test in each week. All these tests are counted in their overall grades. Moreover, with their busy schedules and the ever growing syllabus, it is much more difficult for them to absorb the amount of things they have to learn compared to their parents, who had less busy schedules and less things to study for as a kid. Some pupils reach school at 6 plus in the morning only to go home at around the same time in the evening. They spend nearly 12 hours in school, several days a week. How is it that they are able to cope with their studies and tuition, with 12 hours of school a day, 8 hours of sleep and with only 4 ours left for tuition, revising of schoolwork and recreation? However, there are also days when a student can go home earlier, after about 8 hours of school. That leaves them with about 8 hours for tuition, extra schoolwork and recreation. However, in order to excel in their studies, many students will use that 8 precious hours for tuition or to do extra studying. Those from poorer families will probably need to spend more time without tuition so as to supplement their education.



The education system nowadays is indeed stressing the students out. They have hardly any time left to rest or relax. Without having tuition, the children will have to spend much more time studying in order to supplement their education when they already have so little time in the first place. For some, or most, they will be unable to compete fairly in school without tuition.

Answer 99

My girl does not hv tuition in Math but majority of her classmates do. So when the teacher realises that most of them are able to understand and ans correctly, she proceeds to the next concept or starts to give out hmwrk. It was like this in Pri sch and the same now that she is in Sec. Sometimes she wld come home complaining that she has to again figure out a new topic by herself. No point attending class!

Answer 100

i think that whether a student needs tuition would depend on his/ her learning abilities and interest on each and every subject that he/ she is taking. In Singapore, for O level students will need to take 8 subjects, but do they really like all of the 8 subjects. If a student prefers one over another, it would be obvious that he/ she will be more interested in the one that he/she likes and excel in it.



However, I think that for subjects like math and physics there is a need for tuition as the tutor will be able to guide and ensure that the student is using the proper formula for the particular question. However subjects like biology and chemistry can be studied at home by students. For subjects like biology and chemistry, if you don't have tuition, you can always rely on your textbook for information.



Another thing is that will students be overly reliant on their tutors, such that as they proceed on to higher education, they will be at a lost when they need to source relevant information for their studies?



Overall, I think tuition does help in some cases and for some subjects, but it should not be a tool that allow students to be overly reliant on.

Answer 101

actually i think, tuition classes shouldn't be necessary for children to compete fairly in school. schools should be good enough to give quality education to make the children perform well in their studies without having them sent to tuition classes... while tuition classes must be provided only to children who are having problems with certain subjects and need additional assistance and if their parents couldn't help them.

Answer 102

I am myself a late boomers, i did not do well in my PSLE and have to repeat it. On my second attempt i manage to get into normal stream and went on to polytechnic where i did quite well and now pursuing a part time degree.



Some of my peers who are in the Express stream did not even get into JC or poly as some of them have lost interest in studies.



I guess maybe they are pressurized by the education system or parents.



I think MOE should consider a fairer system which cater to all students needs and not to judge them at a very young age. They should provide extra lesson or spend more time with the student who are weak on certain subject.



I would like MOE to consider to add certain class which will also build a student EQ. Since now i see that MOE or rather singapore eduction system concentrate more on student IQ.



By exposing student with with EQ will also prepare them for the working environment. I have seen my colleagues who are scholars they may be intellingent on paper but are not able to connect well with others as they lack on EQ and compassion for others. They tend to see the works in their on perspective while neglecting other. There is no point to depend only on paper qualifications but you are not able to perform their work well in this case their rapport with their co-workers and subordinate.



They education system should be well endowed with all aspect of like and not only concentrate on academic success.



Right now thats what i have been teaching my 3 year old son, some thing basic like he have to clean after his food, throw litter where it belong etc..........so that he will grow up to be a better person not only academicly but be compassion around his surrounding and people.

Answer 103

Yes. Must compare apple to apple. Cannot compare lazy rich and hardworking poor students. Assume both rich and poor are of same motivation, same IQ, both aiming for medicine/law faculty, etc.



Rich can afford Super-A Guaranteed Kiasu Tuition Centre, taught by famous Stanford Phds, classes filled with smart kids. They ask you to do fire-walk, all kind of drills, NLP, cost $$$. My colleague spends S$1200/mth on tuition for 1 kid.



Poor can only afford CDAC S$8 tuition (sorry not FREE), classes filled with kids swearing vulgarities., taught by Seng/Beng 'volunteers' tutors. Kids come home with #@#@$% influence.



Who will excel? MOE can advise? No need Harvard Phd to answer, right?

Answer 104

If you notice closely, students at well known branded schools usually comes from a higher income family. Definitely students from richer families have higher chance to perform better since they have more resources. Heard from a family's friend who has spent shocking amount to hire the best tuition teachers available.

Answer 105

Yes.

It's unfair to the students from poor families.

I'm one of them...

Pivate tution is very expensive.And I just can't afford it.

I want to work part time but I'm not yet at the working age.

It will be good if the goverment can help us out.

Another thing is,ITE night class fees is almost double if you repeat the same level.

Which is extremely expensive,almost as expensive as pirvate schools.

MOE,please do something for us families with lower income.

Don't just think about upgrading the education standard.

Answer 106

Tuition is to reinforce further understanding of the subjects taught in class. Often Teacher in school doesn't really gave the full transfer of knowledge to the students. Result in Students ????? why?



For those could afford to engage, bless them, for those can't, they need to work extra hard....



As parent, I found that kids were really very stressful to deal with school as well as tuition works.



Hope the Singapore Government can feel that.... please help them.



Thank you

Answer 107

Look like nowadays.Money = education.Who would eventually reduce the fees or really help those who poor and in need help for education.Why govt keep increasing all kind of fares n fees? Just a news report or statement released for proof as reason ,prices eventually starts to rise.This society is going to let rich survive and get high end job and those who poor had to wait for an golden opportunity or end up working like slave to meet singapore living standard.

Answer 108

Minister Of MOE , 1) please let everyone know how many minister son, daughter, grand son, grand daughter has employ tuitor for their study ? Don't said there is level playing field when you miss inform people on how the current system towards bias to those who can afford tuition. 2) let everyone know how many % of the top 10% scorer of PSLE, GCE 'O" level has tuition . If yoyu don't have the number, please don't say that there is level playing field on the curent MOE system.

As a minister, based on facts & data to prove what you said is right. Treat all people here with respect by telling the truth. Don't insult our intelligent ! Shame for your statement.

Answer 109

No, tuition is not entirely necessary. If the student pays attention in class and follows teacher's instruction in class, he or she should be able to do well in examinations. My son did not have a single tuition lesson for his secondary school days but still excelled in the GCE O level exams.

Answer 110

I believe that parents nowadays are depriving their own children of a decent childhood. In this dog-eat-dog world, sometimes parents have to think that giving a child a well-rounded life, of work, play and rest is essential for building and healthy mind and body.



I, for one, may not be one of the top students in school back then, but I thank my parents for allowing me to pursue my own interests in arts and literature. My results were not bad either, I've managed to score an average of A's and B's mostly, except for Accounts, which I got an F9(and proud of it. I detest accounts, I love arts in which I got a distinction).



Your child's brain is unlike a hard disk which be be erased or re-formatted. How you mould and nurture them will make them into what they are in future. Child or teen anxiety and depression are not stuffs that I would like to associate with my childrens' upbringing.

Answer 111

What to do? My daughter is in JC 1 this year. Her math teacher i/c recently made arrangement for her and some of the weaker students to be grouped under another math teacher who is not sensitive to the student's needs. She and her friends are weak in Math and even though they told their teacher they don't understand and can't cope up, the teacher just continue teaching without taking heed to the needs of her students.



In such a case if I don't get a tutor for my daughter's math, she will fail. Then she has to retain and then give up. She is already very discouraged and demoralized by the grouping arrangement. Many parents in Singapore are feeling the stress their children have to go through in our Singapore education system. How much do the people in the MOE understand what we and our children are going through?

Answer 112

Students in countries like India or China hardly goes for tuition and yet produces quality graduates compared to us and other developed countries....So.,tuition does not play a major role...

Answer 113

well, i cant say anything much about the tuition topic... as i have never grew or study here in singapore, but during my school days, my teachers are not really that great,as a matter of fact sometimes they just keep on lecturing us students... but still i got a good grades,i got a good job, i didnt go to tuition either as my family is average level only... but its because my parents are all strict on me and my siblings thats why we keep studying, parents also need to help their kids on their studies, by motivating them,asking them what they want when they grew up,like do they want to become a doctor,lawyer,or businessman, etc... by doing this they will start to have a dream,or let say a goal in their life, this topic is not about parents that can afford or cannot afford tuition,this is a choice of individual, if your from a poor or average family like me... start studying more, stay in the library and read more books,go to net and search for ideas and learn more...you cannot give a reason that im from a poor family thats why i cannot cannot catch up to my classmates as their parents can afford a tuition, thats is not the mentality you have to plant in your head, think more positive, isnt it more better and prouder if you can say to your classmate that im from a poor family but how come i know better than you,which you a tuition right?! think this way young ones... always believe in yourself... you are all lucky that you have internet now, that you dont need to flip the pages of every single book, during my days,i have to spend 5-6 hours in the library as i need to catch up with my class... as for the parents, try motivating your kids more... think this way, your spending quality time with your kids, you will have a more bonding them, your guiding them as they grew up, and you will be more proud to hear them saying my dad or my mom teach me.... isnt it much better...

Answer 114

Nowadays schools are just for wayang, provide activities eg attend YOG, teach values (which should be family's responsibility), etc..Academic studies of course lies with the tutor. Parents' responsibility is to earn more $. Kids who do not have self-discipline would need a tutor to study with..that's a schedule they must follow..without which they dun study. Due to the role reversal, teachers expect students to learn from home/tutors. Their job? dunno..to play wif the kids? My kids always come back saying teachers have a lot of things to do so din collect his homework. So, school clutters the teachers wif so many meaningless activities our kids simply have to learn outside of school.

Answer 115

No, tuition is not necessary, but the elimination of teacher's unions could help.

Think:

Teacher's unions give all teachers, good or bad, a scheduled raise.

Teacher's no longer have an incentive to work harder to keep their jo or get a raise.

From being unmotivated, teachers don't teach as well as they could.

-PLUS-

Nearly all teachers, good or bad, keep their jobs no matter what, therefore poisoning the system.

Because of the large population of bad and unmotivated teachers, they don't teach well, and kids don't learn well.

Eliminate unions, and teachers suddenly become motivated to keep their jobs and get raises, therefore raising teacher quality.

Better teacher quality=better students

Answer 116

I see the private tutor as a person whom you hire to babysit your child, making sure that the child is spending time on homework or lessons. Every 2hr session should ensure that the kid makes some progress in learning.



For those who cant afford, then just simply sit with the kid for 2hrs every night, to create the timespace for them to focus on learning and practice what they have learnt. The problem is discipline and anger. Do you have the discipline (or time, or commitment), and can you manage your frustrations (or control your anger) when they make mistakes.

Answer 117

Theres nothing wrong with private tuition. if the parents can afford, i dun see why anyone should stop feeding the child with more knowledge. but we also cannot deny the fact that poor families will be in a more disadvantage situation. Parents should not put our childrens' education as a competitive field like in working life, else the children will be even more stress with the already high standards of education. MOE should help more by providing after school free tuition to poor families who applied for waiver.(maybe they do have but little awarness of such programs in place already) Our govt does provides help to poorer familys using some form of criteria. this can be applied to education as well at a more relax form. If it still charging the poor families wheres the sincerity then. MOE should also acknowledge the fact that they also responsible for such a scenerio to happen. The higher the standard of education also means more study time,more money need to be invested by parents,some degrading of family time, more stress on children+parents, more help needed for poor families, it also plays a part in raising the cost of living. i have a friend who migrated his entire family simply because he thinks that children here have no childhood, too much competition too stress for his kids. he feels its bad for his kids cause he argue that other countries' kids can excel without such neccessity to be high standards then why put them thru such pain. All come at a cost of raising the educational standards. All these symptoms is only been agrevated after higher standards are raise in education. We dont see so much requirement for supplementary education in the 80s,90s cause most parents can teach their children. Most of my parental friends dont even know how to do their math so ultimately they need to get tuition and these is where poor families is being denied. Children from poor families will find exams too tough to pass. this also puts the children in a fix of where to go after that. In minority cases, some simply stops their education instead and go out to work. Even responsible teachers seems to be over work and lost family life. I can see some teachers post here that they even need to work on weekends.



Average humans have a limit in what they can absorb.



Parents also need to acknowledge that its also a fact the world is never fair, some children are just born with talent in different aspect. Me and my brother did not receive any tuition even we can afford. i was lucky as my parents does not want us to be competitive to other children. My brother excel in studies thru hardwork and now is a doctor in UK. For me, being the lazy and naughty kid, i did very bad for exams failing my history, i score only 24 in O'Level and only have 5 subject passed but im a manager now. im simply not good in studies but im simply better in other areas. I dont deny the fact that some kids are simply not as good in studies and work. We simply need to provide what the child needs as much as we can and balance it with how much the child can cope what he receive from what we can give. His hands are just that limited to grab that much help. Its no easy job to balance that as a parent and this is no easy task for MOE either to create a more even playing field.



MOE and parents need to realise anything too much is never good. MOE has already created an very uneven playing field, enough to become a debating topic here. you cannot fix a problem if you do not acknowledge the fact. There wont be even such a topic to debate in if its not even happening.

Answer 118

Ten to twenty years ago, when teachers were teaching formally, I mean really teaching to pupils in class, giving them lots of homework, then tuition was not necessary. Not many tuition centres those days, esp. the elite tuition centres.



These days, the schools (may be under MOE's direction) adopt "creative teachings". Students do a lot of 'wayang' in schools, eg, presentation, shifting of furnitures to form groups for discussion like they are university students, YOG support - no school, XYZ festival - no school, PSLE Oral-no school, anything happen-no school, e-learning-no school. Teach less + Learn more. All kinds of nonsense cause the lessons in schools to be very diluted. i.e. not the solid lessons we got 10-20 yrs ago. So, where/how to catch up? Tuition. Think MOE/teachers expect all pupils to go tuition and that's why there is financial assistance for tuition??!!



Partly the introduction of GEP(Gifted Ed Prog) is to be blamed for the insecurity in parents. In the prog, they taught secondary sch level math to pri sch kids. Since every parent thinks their children are gifted, they do not want to lose out. So, they are willing to fork out tuition fee as high as $150 per session. This type of elite tuition is for the rich.



I did a simple survey in my kid's school. Almost every kid has tuition. No joke. My kid is going to lose out because we cannot afford tuition. The lessons delivered in class are shabby and homework given minimum, how to expect kids to excel without tuition?



I urge MOE/teachers to revert back to old style teachings, cut off all the wayang in school. Give them lots of homework to wear them out, thus too tired for further tuition, then everything will be equal. :) Presentation can reserved for Pre-U/Poly or University lah... Want pri sch kids to sell wat to investors? Too fast too furious. They better master their "ratios", trigonometry first... Teach more, learn more in school.

Answer 119

hard work and genuine understanding of the subject is what gives a student good grades. there are students who went to numerous tuition but grades still failed miserably. not because of the teaching skills of the teachers but due to lack of motivation to learn or wrong use of studying techniques.

Answer 120

It is pampering the students.They thought that they have learn it during tuition.Thus they don't listen in class and make noise,disturbing their classmates who do not have tuition & want to learn.Actually parents should get the fact that if their child can make it,they don't require that much tuition.Maybe its the parents who are so afraid to lose out.



Tuition can be critical to some.But see the consequences too.

Answer 121

Yes,poorer families can go for voluntary servies sector like RC,CCC.....

Which they have people who can help n give free advsed to student to pass the exmanation.

more importance is the student themself must studies.

private tuition to supplement their education in school and subjective?

this call demand and supply?

you-yourself and demand for it so the costs will be high?

this is unnessary.

Answer 122

It's interesting that you say that because there are some families who are receiving financial assistance still have resources to have tuition at home.

Answer 123

In the first place, why is "tuition" used as a term for something that's supposed to be called "tutorial"?

Answer 124

Definitely. Especially so with our 'quality' education. Too much quality for our cabinet ministers' children to stay in local education, longer than necessary.

Answer 125

To have tution is definitely an advantage as it helps students to grasp concepts better.

However, it all still boils down to the student's own motivation to do well. Just as there are kids with poor family background who do well in their studies, there are rich kids who fare badly in their school work.

Answer 126

Children from the poorer families can only compete fairly in school without tuition if either of their parents are school teachers. I am very sure that the top scholars in PSLE would have attended tuition somewhere during their Primary school years before they sit for PSLE.

Answer 127

ldren in Singapore, because of the simple reason is that there is too much to study at an young age. So for the parents, in-order to get a good PSLE results for his daugher or son, Tuition is the only way out. Still the questions apper in the PSLE is so confusing for the child, and even an highly educated adult and for that matter even the Tuition teacher sometime get confused. So where is the guidelines and where is the benchmark? Why such a huge task for the young aged? Is there any reply such this question. So the Answer is Yes, Tuition is the Critical for Students to Excel These Days. We are sorry about the poor children, but it's created by our system.

Answer 128

Not unless the children in the pooper family is self motivated to excel and have the desire to put in more time and energy to keep up with those assisted by private tuitor.

Answer 129

No. My kids are doing fine without private tuition. I really appreciate what their school teachers had done to help them in their studies. PUNGGOL SEC ROCKS! Keep up your good work!

Answer 130

no. i took the psle last year and i did not do too badly. i di not have ny tuition. i believe that peer to peer learning and hard work is a better way than going for tuition.

Answer 131

Edu sys is geared towards



performance/testing ability instead of learning/equiping/moulding

Answer 132

Schools hardly teach anything at all. Their excuse? "Oh, we don't want to spoon feed the students!"

Wow, I'm enlightened.

Answer 133

no it is not critical anyone can excel in their studies when they give it a little extra time

Answer 134

No they can't perform well if they need extra coaching.

Answer 135

No children, no agony!