Asia spending billions on tutors: study

[janet88]

BeContented:

I dunno what to say. Just glad that I din subject my kids to such stuff when they were young, at least they got to play a lot

Sending kids to school early is heartache for me...I kept my kids at home until the age of nursery. If can avoid nursery and attend K1, it would be more fun.
Daughter in P2 this year has tests every 9-10 weeks. I don't push her to ace them...just want her to have some preparation for it. Seeing my son so jelak, education is a LONG way to go. Do not wish to see her burnt out.

[SAHM_TAN]

I did not conduct survey. I have 3 kids and they have different personalities and temper of varying degree but one thing is common among my kids, they are curious, like to learn and read. I’m a very average mother and I did not do anything special for them, especially so for bb, becos I’m so tired out, but I love to read, books are scattered all over the house, sometimes becos I’m too tired to tidy.


I guide my older kids on their reading and now bb, 23 months, on her own accord will point out words and in her non-verbal communication manner ask me what the word means and she’s rather happy. She a very normal bb hor, can’t even speak yet. In some ways considered behind liao becos she can’t recite the abc, 123, heck she doesnt even speak.

My point is that from my observation of my kids, I know small until cannot be small sample size, kids by nature love and want to learn. They are terrible curious creatures. It’s not a typo when I state terrible. We do not need to nurture their love for learning. We just need to make sure we don’t extinguish it.

[SAHM_TAN]

Kids are being exposed to science as early as kindy. The difficulty level can be adjusted but I think it’s not fair to the kids to totally exclude science till P3.


My dd1 is a very average kid. She’s not GEP type hor. She’s the type that couldn’t read with basic ability till K2. I’m not being over-ambition on her reading abilities nor a extreme modest parent. But at K1, she was able to explain to me very clearly and logically why certain countries are daytime and why others are night-time. So if my kid can be reached so can other kids.

I have believed that P1 should be introduced to science before I have these 2 pieces of information. This is just one example to show helping kids to prepare consistently and gradually for PSLE.

A neighbourhood school, not those from top ones, has science projects for their P1 kids and my school encourage the P1 kids to subscribe to science magazine. These are signals to me that even school teachers realise the need to expose kids to science earlier than P3. So why don’t do it across the board? The subject does not have to be tested. My kids were not tested in kindy and they still learned the stuff that were taught to them.

PSLE of today is more difficult than my time. This is a fact. I’m not interested in why or that it’s too difficult for the kids. My stand is if the papers are so difficult, then schools have a responsibility to give the kids a fair and fighting chance and not just fall back on the argument of that there are just kids who cannot be taught or that there are classes for varying abilities kids. The process can be gentle. I do not associate nurture with shock treatments. I don’t understand why I must be shocked when my kids are in P5 or that it’s normal to shock them when they are in P5.

Oh, my idea of consistent and gradual preparation of my kids do not include 2 sessions of kindy hor.

One more thing, I spoke to a P4 kid from one of the popular schooland she told me PSLE preparation starts in P4, and she was rather serious when she told me. She’s a rather normal kid too. So working backwards, I have to start now for my P1 kid. It’s not about kiasu or kiasi. It’s about gradual preparation in view that the papers are no longer the standard of our times.

My dd1 does not have tuition for every subject. She has maths because I do not understand models and all the new stuff that it’s maths that’s suppose to make it easier for kids to learn maths. For science I subscribe to magazines and have science kits for the kids. The kits, I’ve yet to let her try becos bb is rather destructive now. I do not test my dd1 on the science facts that she read, I just give her the stuff to read. She’s the very girly type but she’s still ok to read abt science. Like I post in my earlier post, kids have a natural curiosity.

[janet88]

Boy mentioned in yesterday’s ST could have been brainwashed to attend 2 kindergartens everyday. Kids at his age have brains like sponges…quick to absorb…but starting too early can lead to melt-down or burnt out early too. Very 可怜


Are some parents too eager to get kids started seeing that their precious tots are intelligent or plain kiasu? Once kids start school, they will be studying for the next 16-18 years at least, maybe more if taking MBA.

[Champion]

SAHM_TAN:

Kids are being exposed to science as early as kindy. The difficulty level can be adjusted but I think it's not fair to the kids to totally exclude science till P3.

:hi5: SAHM_TAN I had a \"culture shock\" when my youngest, now barely coming to 3 years old brought back a All about Science colouring book from his playgroup last Term! :yikes: Both my P1 and P4 DDs were \"curious\" and started flipping thru the pages and commented,\" Aiyoh, how di di will know about trees, plants, etc. He still so young!\"

SAHM_TAN:

I have believed that P1 should be introduced to science before I have these 2 pieces of information. This is just one example to show helping kids to prepare consistently and gradually for PSLE.

:evil: :evil: That why we are all seeing P1 or Pre-Primary Science Assessment books at Popular Bookstore. I believe Science is a everyday thing so by observing and talking, think kids will be exposed to Science in one way or another; JMHO

SAHM_TAN:

One more thing, I spoke to a P4 kid from one of the popular schooland she told me PSLE preparation starts in P4, and she was rather serious when she told me. She's a rather normal kid too. So working backwards, I have to start now for my P1 kid. It's not about kiasu or kiasi. It's about gradual preparation in view that the papers are no longer the standard of our times.

My dd1 does not have tuition for every subject. She has maths because I do not understand models and all the new stuff that it's maths that's suppose to make it easier for kids to learn maths. For science I subscribe to magazines and have science kits for the kids. The kits, I've yet to let her try becos bb is rather destructive now. I do not test my dd1 on the science facts that she read, I just give her the stuff to read. She's the very girly type but she's still ok to read abt science. Like I post in my earlier post, kids have a natural curiosity.

:salute: :celebrate: Jiayou, mummy SAHM_TAN! For P1, we still have a long way to go so we shall not be stress out here but continue to move with them in a steadfast and gradual manner that best suits him/her.

My elder is P4 this year and I can feel the \"heat\" coming up but I am more a supporting role to her and I always have this to say,\" I will render all kinda of help to you within my means to you but ultimately you are the sitting for the exam so be the best you can!\" :please:

[limlim]

tuition_czar:

laughingcat:

[quote=\"Melodies\"]However, I noticed that these kids are very good in coping with heavy workloads/programs when they grown up and always full of energy...

For short term.....maybe. But in the long run, i am not surprise that the child will develop burn-out studying.

Very valid point. I am an advocate of hard work, but starting tuition so young is............ ridiculously absurd, for both child and parent. If this becomes a widespread trend, the government can forget about boosting the population numbers. [/quote]Maybe the kids when they grow up will be

会做事，不会\"做人\"。

[limlim]

verykiasu2010:

blame MOE ? blame the parents' kiasu mentality is more like it

ouch, the truth hurts :siam: :siam:

Surely, the \"kiasu\" parents have a hand in it.......

However, shd the state stand by and do nothing..?

it's not whether the truth hurts.. but what can be done to alleviate the problem..

Instead of just declaring that \"oh, it is cause by parents.. end of story..\"

When there is a social problem, the state have an obligation to deal with it..

[janet88]

limlim:

verykiasu2010:

blame MOE ? blame the parents' kiasu mentality is more like it

Surely, the \"kiasu\" parents have a hand in it.......

However, shd the state stand by and do nothing..?

it's not whether the truth hurts.. but what can be done to alleviate the problem..

Instead of just declaring that \"oh, it is cause by parents.. end of story..\"

When there is a social problem, the state have an obligation to deal with it..

To what extent do we follow the rest of the herd?
Logically we tell ourselves we cannot follow blindly. When these 2 scenarios happen, it's not logic if we sit back anymore:
1) When kids get 80+ in class from tests and parents think it is 'wow, not bad for a P1/2'. Only to realise 80+ is actually near the bottom of class. Then they get sucked into the school environment AFTER PTM.

2) The child fails. He/she is miserable. Teacher doesn't seem to be able to get him/her up on par with the rest. Can any parent possibly sit back and do nothing? During PTM, teacher tells you he/she should do something. Whose responsibility is it?

[larkspur]

my cousins and my uncle are primary school teachers. They would tell me that a lot of parents of p1 to p3 kids engage tutitions and it is really "good business" for them. In fact my cousins and uncle give tuitions at night after school hours and what they earn from tuition at night is more than their basic salary as a school teachers. My whole clan are talking as to how they earning big money to an extent that one cousin give her mum pocket money of $1k every month and she staying in condo with 1 kid and both herself and her hubby are primary school teachers. Sometimes my parents would be in an envy , i told them no choice your daughter me dun like teaching and i am paying tuition teacher to teach my girl

[Laura02]

My dd is in P4 but does not have any tuition in any of the 4 academic subjects. Having said that, dh and I teach her, or should I say guide her. I do not fault parents who send their kids for 2 kindergartens program everyday. Some of dd classmates in kinddy did so, even back then. Their parents were working, and simply didn't want the kids to go home to sit in front of the television. They treated it more like child care. But of course, different people have different motivations.


As for science, it simply explains how and why things around us happen. I did triple science for \"A\" levels. But I started reading philosophical text while in JC. And it just blew me away. Ancient philosophers asked questions about the natural world, which scientist of later centuries answered, and some that modern scientist are still trying to answer! If teaching \"science\" to preschool children simply means getting them curious about the world around them, or getting them to simply to observe the world around them and come up with \"out of the box\" answers; then I say it's good, go for it. If teaching them science involves making them memories facts, then I think it's a little too early.

I am a FTWM, with a MIL who has dementia staying with us. I fully understand the stress and pure exhaustion that comes with work. However, every now and then I try to step back and ask myself what skill sets I want my child to acquire. I do not aim to change the situation, which I am not satisfied with, but I try to change the things I can control. For now, it means no tuition for dd, trying to impart values, trying to teach her the concepts, and lots of free time (which, unfortunately, she uses to play computer games or watch Telly). Then again, maybe next year, I'll get so terrified about the PSLE that I'll send dd for tuition for everything.