Asia spending billions on tutors: study
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KSP:
tuition ? must make time for it man !frankly speaking if i can come across any parents who can say \"tuition??? please lah!!! where got time???\" then i will :udawoman: :udaman:
anyone here?
:evil: :evil:
some enrichment centre / tutor actually turning away student who have grasped the subject matter -
KSP:
frankly speaking if i can come across any parents who can say \"tuition??? please lah!!! where got time???\" then i will :udawoman: anyone here?
No time also have to make time for it...SOME men don't get it.
Tuition IS a need (necessary), not a want (optional). -
janet_lee88:
You need to qualify, \"For some, not for all.\"KSP:
frankly speaking if i can come across any parents who can say \"tuition??? please lah!!! where got time???\" then i will :udawoman: anyone here?
No time also have to make time for it...the men don't get it.
Tuition IS a need (necessary), not a want (optional). -
i would say majority (not ALL)of parents here (or in SG) would say \"tuition, oh please make time for it!!!\"
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KSP:
Tuition, please
http://www.edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/news/schoolnews/1193528/Tuition_please.html
The New Paper | Tue Jul 10 2012
Five days a week without fail, this 15-year-old student goes for extra lessons after school.
And over the weekend, her only forms of leisure are a one-hour swimming class on Saturday evenings and a two-hour church session on Sunday mornings.
Other than meal times, it is one tuition class after another for Kimberly Lee, a Secondary 3 student in a neighbourhood school in the east.
Yet her housewife mother, Mrs Lee Im Chuan, does not feel that her daughter is having excessive tuition.
Mrs Lee, 50, says in a mix of Mandarin and English: \"If not for the extra help, my girl will not be able to cope with her studies.\"
\"It's not a case of being kiasi or kiasu, but it can be dire consequences if my girl fails her O-level exams,\" she says in exasperation.
Not that Kimberly is doing badly - she topped her cohort in Secondary 1and 2.
And for the first semestral examinations this year, she came in second.
But Mrs Lee is still unhappy. She says: \"See, this is what happens after I agree to cut one of her tuition classes - she ended up with a B3 for science (physics).\"
Needless to say, tuition in science for Kimberly has resumed since the June school holidays.
Which she is grateful for and \"appreciates tremendously\", says Kimberly.
\"Some of my friends laugh at me and think I'm being nerdy or dumb - depending on which way you want to see it - but I don't mind.\"
She adds: \"Without the tuition classes, I don't think I'd be able to cope with my school work, much less think about topping my class.
\"As it is, I was very disappointed that I didn't do well for my PSLE and couldn't get into any of my first four choices.\"
She had an aggregate score of 200 for the PSLE.
\"I appreciate that my dad (who is a private bus driver) and my mum are willing to sacrifice their own needs so that they can set aside the $1,200-odd (tuition) fees,\" Kimberly says.
\"In any case, I don't mind the hours because it means I'm using my time carefully and wisely.\"
And it's not only Singaporean parents such as Mrs Lee who are spending big money on tutors.
An Asian Development Bank study published on Wednesday, shows that Asian parents have spent billions of dollars on private tutors for their children.
Singapore spent US$680million in 2008 (S$865 million), while Japan spent US$12 billion, and the practice is growing despite doubts over its effectiveness, the report said.
In South Korea, nearly nine out of 10 elementary school pupils have private tutoring, while the figure for primary school children in India's West Bengal state is six out of 10.
The report added that extra academic work is aimed at helping slow learners and supporting high achievers, and is seen by many Asian parents as a constructive wayfor adolescents to spend their spare time.
This, however, can reduce time for sports and other activities important for well-rounded development, as well as cause social tensions since richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring, the study says.
Mrs Kim Soo Ri, a South Korean mother, spends about US$800 on tuition for her only child, a nine-year-old boy.
Mrs Kim, 40, a restaurant manager in Seoul, says in English: \"The elementary school here does not offer very good English classes, so I pay for a British tutor to teach my son.
\"I hope we can move out of here (Seoul) if my son can get a place in one of the Singapore schools.\"
The New Paper on Sunday randomly polled 100 students from primary school (Primary 6) to junior college at Bishan MRT station on Friday, and 62 per cent ofthem said they have tuition.
The majority said they pay for extra help because they are weak in a subject.
Miss Chen,who declines to give her full name,is an exception to these cases.
Despite consistently scoring As for maths, she has been taking tuition in the subject since she was in Secondary 1.
The Raffles Institution (Junior College) student has done so after all her classmates started going for tuition - she wanted to be part of the \"in\" crowd.
Says the 18-year-old: \"I really like maths and I felt left out as everyone else was going for tuition classes.\"
Naval Base Secondary School student Jasper Tan, 16, is more representative of his peers.
He says:\"My foundation in English is not strong and I'm taking the O levels this year, that's why I'm having tuition.\"
Yet, there others who do it because they lack the self discipline to do it on their own - their parents pay for a \"baby sitter\".
Brian Lim, 16,from Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, admits to being \"lazy\" and that is why he is being tutored in chemistry and maths.
He admits: \"Having a tuition teacher in front of me forces me to practise.\"
Topping the tuition list in Singapore appears to be maths and Chinese.
Modular Education Centre's manager Helen Phoon, 54, told TNP that tuition for the two subjects is highly sought after.
Says Ms Phoon: \"Chinese is very important at the PSLE because if you don't do well, you can't enter the popular secondary schools.
\"As for mathematics - it's very challenging - many schools set exams at a standard that is higher than what they teach their students, so they come for tuition.\"
Retired teacher Ho Kong Loon, 65, says: \"There's no need for tuition if the student is doing well. \"The trouble is parents demand it because they want their kids to do well, and schools tolerate it because they want their rankings to go up.\"
National University of Singapore sociologist Paulin Straughan agrees.
Those who continue with tuition despite improved grades will have a \"crutch mentality\", says the associate professor.
\"It's not healthy because a child is not realising his or her potential,\" she maintains. \"Where is the independence to achieve things on their own?\"
Mr Ho adds that if students are not interested or motivated to have tuition, \"any improvement (in grades) will be marginal\".
Some students says they take tuition to score even better marks, or to beat the system.
Brian Foo, 18, a National Junior College student, who has tuition in economics and maths, says: \"A tutor helps you tackle hard questions (and teaches you) how to manipulate the content of what you've learnt to answer the question.\"
His reason does not surprise Associate Professor Straughan as \"enrichment classes and tuition centres serve to teach students to be exam-smart, rather than independent thinkers\".
As for those who do not take tuition, many of them feel it is unnecessary as they can do without it.
Dylan Wong, 15, from Whitley Secondary School, says: \"There's already too much homework from school. Having tuition will add to the stress.\"
Melvin Chia, 16, also from Whitley Secondary School, admits that he cannot afford to have tuition.
But he says: \"The teachers in my school are good and they are willing to help.\"
That should be the way to go as \"schools are already providing supplementary and remedial lessons\", says Mr Ho.
Tuition centres, however, serve to create \"anxiety\" in parents, Associate Professor Straughan believes.
She says: \"Parents have become insecure - it's not good enough to pass exams any more - you have to be in the top 10 or 1 per cent.
\"Why? Because our education system has become too competitive with all the elite tracks that we've created.
\"And we've invested so much in our children, equating advanced education with upward mobility for the family - all this is fuelling the tuition industry and stressing the child.\"![](\"http://static.edvantage.com.sg/site/servlet/linkableblob/edvantage/1193528/topImage/Tuition_please-topImage.jpg\")
http://static.edvantage.com.sg/site/servlet/linkableblob/edvantage/1193528/topImage/Tuition_please-topImage.jpg\">
This article was first published in The New Paper.
It seems people read what they only want to read. I thought this article supports Limlim and camp's arguments well, doesn't it?
Most kids cannot do without tuition, like one said \"Without the tuition classes, I don't think I'd be able to cope with my school work\", she had an aggregate of 200. This girl's family isn't well-off, don't you think it'll be a strain on the family's finances and probably thwart the parents' retirement plans when so much is spent on 1 child.What is they have more than one? Won't it slowly evolve into a social problem?And for those who can't afford tutors, will they fall off the curve? I still think it's a major problem for kids who are struggling with schoolwork (without parents being able to help) and yet cannot afford a good tutor.
One commented that even though he can't afford tuition but \"The teachers in my school are good and they are willing to help\". So if most teachers are like his, the need for tuition may be reduced.
Another social implication as well \" cause social tensions since richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring,\"
\"Tuition centres, however, serve to create \"anxiety\" in parents, Associate Professor Straughan believes\" says it all.
Finally, as mentioned many times, tuition is not an evil, but when the majority has to have it to tackle pri sch syllabus , then something needs to be done.
Hope we won't go the way Seoul does. btw, I suspect if the children polled are pri-sch kids, the percentage could be higher. -
limlim:
Before one embarks on major surgery on the patient, which may be costly and potentially damaging, one needs to understand what the problem is, and indeed, IF there is a problem in the first place.
No Data doesn't mean it is not a problem.
Does the govt produce ANY data before CRA was set up? If you do not have a dept for that, how are you going to produce DATA?
How can one even begin to prescribe a cure when one does not know what the disease is? All we are talking here are symptoms (too much tuition), but the illness itself (MOE? Parents? Asian Mentality? Marketing?) is still undefined. Before we start charging down some blind alley, some thoughtful analysis is in order. -
KSP:
i would say majority (not ALL)of parents here (or in SG) would say \"tuition, oh please make time for it!!!\"
I can give up retail therapy since SAHMs don't need to dress up...if kids need that 1-1, I will see that they get it. -
[quote]
Retired teacher Ho Kong Loon, 65, says: \"There's no need for tuition if the student is doing well. \"The trouble is parents demand it because they want their kids to do well, and schools tolerate it because they want their rankings to go up.\"
National University of Singapore sociologist Paulin Straughan agrees.
Those who continue with tuition despite improved grades will have a \"crutch mentality\", says the associate professor.
\"It's not healthy because a child is not realising his or her potential,\" she maintains. \"Where is the independence to achieve things on their own?\"[/quote]So who started the problem of too much tuition?
The demanding parents, the tolerating schools, or the dependent children?
:? -
janet_lee88:
and not only must make time but also pls make enough $$$ to pay the fee too....KSP:
i would say majority (not ALL)of parents here (or in SG) would say \"tuition, oh please make time for it!!!\"
I can give up retail therapy since SAHMs don't need to dress up...if kids need that 1-1, I will see that they get it. -
Lilac66 : It seems people read what they only want to read. I thought this article supports Limlim and camp's arguments well, doesn't it?
Most kids cannot do without tuition, like one said \"Without the tuition classes, I don't think I'd be able to cope with my school work\", she had an aggregate of 200. This girl's family isn't well-off, don't you think it'll be a strain on the family's finances and probably thwart the parents' retirement plans when so much is spent on 1 child.What is they have more than one? Won't it slowly evolve into a social problem?And for those who can't afford tutors, will they fall off the curve? I still think it's a major problem for kids who are struggling with schoolwork (without parents being able to help) and yet cannot afford a good tutor.
One commented that even though he can't afford tuition but \"The teachers in my school are good and they are willing to help\". So if most teachers are like his, the need for tuition may be reduced.
Another social implication as well \" cause social tensions since richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring,\"
\"Tuition centres, however, serve to create \"anxiety\" in parents, Associate Professor Straughan believes\" says it all.
Finally, as mentioned many times, tuition is not an evil, but when the majority has to have it to tackle pri sch syllabus , then something needs to be done.
Hope we won't go the way Seoul does. btw, I suspect if the children polled are pri-sch kids, the percentage could be higher.
Last edited by Lilac66 on 11 Jul 2012 11:47, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Lilac66,
Fully supported yr views! I was about to write and highlight almost the SAME phrases from the article as you did but was hindered by my iPhone ! Yah, strange that different people emphasised different concerns from the same article !!
I'm quite worried about the lower income group forking out their hard earned money or working hard to pay for tuition , the money can go so much to improve their standard of living.
Another point was the IP students going for tuitions to stay afloat or ahead. The school curriculum is accelerated and more depth and breadth added but some kids told me they go tuition as they are taught more systemically in tuition centers . These are definitely not your weaker students and I wonder why can't they do it themselves ? I have heard of tuition centres who have dedicated classes for each IP schools .
I have met another extreme case recently , one Chinese boy in IP school with sparkling eyes and came from China in lower primary . I asked him of his primary school scores and he said Maths, Science and Chinese almost full marks most of the time , English 80s, no tuition , no parental guidance and from one of the neighbourhood primary schools . During holidays , go back China and catch frogs and keep grandparents company . When I look at him , I really wonder what has happened along the way for us to be here arguing this topic. And I have not seen such brilliant and carefree kid for a long long time. Of course, if he is schooling in China now, he will be bombarded with lots of tuitions to prepare his gakao.
Amidst the yawns and Sians, I think the 2 camps will never see each other's point of views based on their experiences so probably we should have A thread and B thread for this topic......................!
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