Asia spending billions on tutors: study

[janet88]

My daughter in P2 is blessed with dedicated and caring teachers...she is very fortunate.


Limlim, you have my support.
If teachers are not allowed to moonlight, they may be more dedicated to teach in class :xedfingers: If students find they are learning more in school, they will tend to be more keen to attend school and less tuition.

[wonderm]

oxyleo:

I also know a teacher who sends her kids to TLL, and they find it useful.

And I also know a friend whose daughter attends TLL and is in the same class as a Minister's son.

Be careful, you may be unknowingly advertising for them. KSP may be more effective than their own ads

[autumnbronze]

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..

Just started reading from pg1.

So what should the state do then, since it's a social problem?? Come up with YET another 'fine' :evil: :evil:

[3Boys]

autumnbronze:

Just started reading from pg1.

So what should the state do then, since it's a social problem?? Come up with YET another 'fine' :evil: :evil:

I honestly find it very befuddling why in this era when people are railing AGAINST a nanny state, that the same people are asking for even MORE government intervention. Shed those apron strings, for heaven's sake.

[autumnbronze]

FQW:

SAHM_TAN:

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.

I so totally agree with you on this one. This is also what Glenn Doman preached about early childhood education. The thing is, a child's educational journey doesn't start when he reaches P1. It starts way before that and we parents play a big part in the grooming and motivational aspects [though I reserve judgement on the effectiveness of sending kids to 2 kindy per day].

If we put in consistent effort to educate our kids during the early years, in future no matter what external competition they face such as in the form of smart foreign students coming in, I believe they will hold their own and fulfil their potential. Isn't that enough?

Some sure ways to extinguish the fire in our kids are a) expect perfection all the time, nit-picking every small mistake that they make b) bore them by only exposing them to content found within MOE's exam syllabus c) physcially punishing them when they don't meet our expection [to me, this is the biggest disincentive to learn for the quest of knowledge].

:goodpost:

[autumnbronze]

3Boys:

autumnbronze:

Just started reading from pg1.

So what should the state do then, since it's a social problem?? Come up with YET another 'fine' :evil: :evil:

I honestly find it very befuddling why in this era when people are railing AGAINST a nanny state, that the same people are asking for even MORE government intervention. Shed those apron strings, for heaven's sake.

Couldn't agree with you more on this :hi5:

Edited: sarcasm intended in first post

[autumnbronze]

3Boys:

limlim:

As for kiasu parents, you can't do anything about them, there is no point talking about them and put all the blame on them, then what?

I do not dispute or disagree that some kiasu parents maybe an important cause..

But it is meaningless to talk about them.

If they are an important cause, why is it meaningless to talk about them? If attitudes don't change, can anything the MOE do be enough?

:goodpost:

[wonderm]

3Boys:

autumnbronze:

Just started reading from pg1.

So what should the state do then, since it's a social problem?? Come up with YET another 'fine' :evil: :evil:

I honestly find it very befuddling why in this era when people are railing AGAINST a nanny state, that the same people are asking for even MORE government intervention. Shed those apron strings, for heaven's sake.

Agree. I thought we want to be given more freedom to decide for ourselves and our own children?

For those who believe tuition is harmful, just don't send the kids. Yes, some teachers' own children attend tuition. Yes, some centres claim that the top PSLE scorers attended their classes. Why should any of these bother you if you think tuition is harmful for your own kids and you don't believe these tuition centres are of much use?

[Lilac66]

If it’s a social problem, then is it the chicken or egg that came first?


Is it because the tuition centres are helping kids push up standards so much so that other kids can’t cope without tuition, or is the standard going up that the tuition centres come in to plug the gap?

Basically what is the contributing factor to this phenomenon throughout Asia? It’s really not too common to hear of kids who excel w/o tuition (of course there are, but definitely the minority). I pity these kids who may suffer burn-out soon. My earlier tongue-in-cheek post about more kids being sent to IMH is not totally in jest actually. Personally know of a friend whose kid was sent there for treatment.

When I tell neighbours or friends my kid does not have tuition (except for Chinese,which I could coach myself but hubby wanted to take the load off me), they’ll give me a "are you sure?" look. That’s a gauge of how common tuition is.

I’m not against tuition or advocate that it’s something "evil", but I just hope that somehow this academic thing doesn’t overtake our kids’ lives. There should be a balance.

Something has to be done, but who will do it? I haven’t the slightest idea.

[oxyleo]

wonderm:

3Boys:

[quote=\"autumnbronze\"]
Just started reading from pg1.

So what should the state do then, since it's a social problem?? Come up with YET another 'fine' :evil: :evil:

I honestly find it very befuddling why in this era when people are railing AGAINST a nanny state, that the same people are asking for even MORE government intervention. Shed those apron strings, for heaven's sake.

Agree. I thought we want to be given more freedom to decide for ourselves and our own children?

For those who believe tuition is harmful, just don't send the kids. Yes, some teachers' own children attend tuition. Yes, some centres claim that the top PSLE scorers attended their classes. Why should any of these bother you if you think tuition is harmful for your own kids and you don't believe these tuition centres are of much use?[/quote]Yes, I understand what you mean, but I think a lot of this has to do with relativity. Especially when you are talking about increasing trends, huge proportions, vs those that choose to do the contrary, that sort of thing.

Take for eg, if an increasing number of people around you have been attending this investment talk because it purportedly teaches people things that are exclusive, and this information allows you to make wise choices about investing, and you even hear that many who attended have benefited from it by making better investment choices, would you not sign up? Would it not be surprising that more begin to sign up?

I agree that as a parent, we need to make the best choice for our children, but parents are in a way also signing up their children for tuition because they feel they need to level the playing field for their child. That is a huge factor here.

A level playing field is a reason why in a beauty contest, anyone found with cosmetic surgery to attain artificial beauty is disqualified; why sportsman are tested for steroids/ doping before competing events. No one says you cannot do surgery if you are born with a cleft lip, or you cannot take painkillers if you are a sportsman in pain, but there are guidelines to competitions to ensure - A Level Playing field.

Lastly, about being a Nanny state -
Not wanting to be a Nanny State does not mean zero control or regulation or governance, or intervention at the right time. A good state would still require stewardship, guidance, management and balance.
When a child fights for independence, a good parent is happy, but also knows that it doesnt mean you disappear from his life. The parent says,\"I'll be here if you need me,\" and offers assistance when deemed necessary.

As a child and parent never ever decouple, neither does state and it's people.