Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition
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Hi Strparent,
I can't remember what teacher said during PTM then...besides, I know nuts about Math. It's not about blaming either. My son had 80+ for Math in P4. When he moved up to P5, he just couldnt get Math prob sums done. Neither could hubby. From 80% in P4 to 30% for CA1 P5, this is no joking matter.
Is it the syllabus ? Yes, many told me P5 Math is TOUGH, but not what I expected. Why could the tutor help him and not the school teacher ? -
limlim:
I feel that is the first thing that MOE needs to fix!
Erm...teachers can give tuition. In fact, they are highly sought after bcos they know what is expected...as such, they charge higher rates.janet_lee88:
[quote=\"limlim\"]
Heard from my friend last time that MOE does not disallow it.
Teachers could be doing a brisk business at tuition and no heart to teach in the school!
But with the busy schedule and long hours in school, they may not able to take many students unless they give tuition on weekends.
Teachers giving private tuition.. that is direct conflict of interest!
Would any employer allow their employee to moonlight for competitors? No right!
Parents, taxpayers are indirectly funding the salaries for teachers at their kids school. I feel that it is unacceptable for teachers to moonlight outside of their school duties.
How can MOE allow teachers to give tuition? They should set a strict rule to disallow such things from happening, as it could seriously affect the quality of teachings in schools.[/quote]MOE allowed school teachers to give tuition, but subject to a cap of i think 6hrs per week. and i also heard that students must not be from the sch the teacher is currently teaching.
if moe impose a strict rule disallowing such, maybe moe stand to lose even more teachers to the tuition industry. -
Strparent:
1. tuition centres and agencies are not owned by MOEjanet_lee88:
Personally, MOE should fix the immediate problem WHY parents/kids need tuition. Hubby die die refused to get Math tutor for son last year....insisting that he could handle, the best part is he cannot even coach son for daily homework :faint: He agreed to get tutor when son flunked SA1, again. After tutor started for a while, son could get his Math hw done and that was amazing. By SA2, he had 50 for Math. This is a genuine case of a NEED, not obsession.
so sorry to hear that, hope yr DS improves now that he has his foundation steadied.
But I disagree here that this is a genuine case of a NEED - has the teacher spoken to you about yr DS inability to cope during class ?
The key issue here, imho, is that your DS could not learn in class what he learnt from the tutor ??!!
It means, its not the problem with work nor the child, more likely its a problem that the teacher was unable to teach effectively, no ?
btw, I am also a strong opponent of the tuition/enrichment wave, but we cannot stop it... and I dont think MOE will stop it - its a $820mil p.a. turnover industry ( and growing! ), just the GST alone is about $60m :evil:
2. not all tuition teachers / agencies / centres charge GST -
Heard from my friend last time that MOE does not disallow it.
Teachers could be doing a brisk business at tuition and no heart to teach in the school
Erm…teachers can give tuition. In fact, they are highly sought after bcos they know what is expected…as such, they charge higher rates.
But with the busy schedule and long hours in school, they may not able to take many students unless they give tuition on weekends.[/quote]
MOE pay peanuts. With the high standard of living,
many teachers have no choice but to moonlight
as private tutors. They can earn more actually.
What could be taught in school is very
subjective. There are many good teachers around
who teach very well but there are also
unmotivated teachers.
The children these days are difficult to handle.
They are unlike our times, where students sit
quietly and pay attention.
Some are hyperactive, some are talkative.
Some have simply no respect for teachers because
they know their rights. They know teachers
are not allowed to use corporal punishment
I can understand why a ‘soft’ teacher couldn’t
handle the class, let alone teach.
When your child is streamed into the tail end class,
what could he learn in school?
Even the most motivated and hardworking
kid could learn nothing in school even he is willing.
Simply because the class is too noisy. -
szepinge:
Classroom management is not easy...cannot punish or parents will go after teacher. Kids today are too smart, not like our time when we will sit down and listen. Our parents will not side us if we are punished.
Teachers could be doing a brisk business at tuition and no heart to teach in the school
MOE pay peanuts. With the high standard of living,
many teachers have no choice but to moonlight
as private tutors. They can earn more actually.
What could be taught in school is very
subjective. There are many good teachers around
who teach very well but there are also
unmotivated teachers.
The children these days are difficult to handle.
They are unlike our times, where students sit
quietly and pay attention.
After few years of teaching, the not so passionate ones will give up. With high targets and constant breathing down the neck by HODs, meetings, admin work, marking, CCA, how passionate can a teacher be ? Not to mention the pathetic pay for 12-14 hours of teaching everyday. -
jedamum:
it should never have been that way in the first place, allowing teacher to give tuition.
if moe impose a strict rule disallowing such, maybe moe stand to lose even more teachers to the tuition industry.
So, in all industries, the companies should allow their staff to moonlight so that they do not lose workers? what logic is that?
There is clear conflict of interest. The teachers may put more effort into the variable private income (And maybe not paying tax for it) and less effort on fixed income from schools. End up MORE students in the class need tuition. I teach your student from your school, you teach my students from my school.. together we make lotsa $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
If the teachers cannot be committed and focused on school classes, it is better that they leave the teaching profession. -
limlim:
the only rule is that teachers cannot give tuition to students in their own school. If they do - well, that has to be free.
it should never have been that way in the first place, allowing teacher to give tuition.jedamum:
if moe impose a strict rule disallowing such, maybe moe stand to lose even more teachers to the tuition industry.
So, in all industries, the companies should allow their staff to moonlight so that they do not lose workers? what logic is that?
There is clear conflict of interest. The teachers may put more effort into the variable private income (And maybe not paying tax for it) and less effort on fixed income from schools. End up MORE students in the class need tuition. I teach your student from your school, you teach my students from my school.. together we make lotsa $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
If the teachers cannot be committed and focused on school classes, it is better that they leave the teaching profession. -
szepinge:
that is rubbish!
MOE pay peanuts.
MOE starting pay is much higher than industry average for degree holders.
degree starting pay is approx $2.5k in many sectors, esp engineering, moe pays $3.2k while on course at nie.
go and look at the median salaries of similar qualifications, teachers are definitely in the upper bracket.
of coz, don't compare with financial sector.. their earnings is sometimes not realistic to average workers. -
limlim:
that is rubbish!szepinge:
MOE pay peanuts.
MOE starting pay is much higher than industry average for degree holders.
degree starting pay is approx $2.5k in many sectors, esp engineering, moe pays $3.2k while on course at nie.
go and look at the median salaries of similar qualifications, teachers are definitely in the upper bracket.
of coz, don't compare with financial sector.. their earnings is sometimes not realistic to average workers.
Do you know what is the starting pay for those with good honors degree
holder?? -
limlim:
If the teachers cannot be committed and focused on school classes, it is better that they leave the teaching profession.
Yes, totally support your statement! :goodpost:
How can teachers obtain salary from MOE every month, & yet still allowed to do moonlighting ! So ridiculous ! Then might as well quit MOE, don't teach in primary school. Better than continue to teach half heartedly or even worse no heart / passion to teach, in the end produce wishy-washy sub standard in school pupils, harm them instead.
let me share a story ...
many years ago, there was this English teacher in one of CHIJ primary schools. She's not interested in teaching, just want to collect $ monthly salary. Each time she enter the class, she'll tell the girls, \"Girls, take out your own homework & do yr work quietly.\" After that, she started taking out her own needlework crochet work, and crochet some baby stuff right in front of the whole class. She didn't teach English at all.
as a result, my cousin's PSLE English very bad. She ended up in a lousy Secondary school, bec English no good. Till today, my cousin remembered her P6 English teacher vividly.
this example doesn't illustrate moonlighting.
But this example illustrate that when a person has no heart / passion to teach, she harmed her students instead. It may be an extreme example that happened > 30 years. Today if got such teachers around, they would have been sacked, due to parents complaints to school(s).
if you no heart to teach, then for goodness sake GET OUT of the teaching profession, before you harm more pupils !
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