Asia spending billions on tutors: study
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autumnbronze:
but.. not all teachers are like you. If all the teachers are like you, I guess, this thread may not have existed.
At a popular sch, I was teaching graduating classes. I had 10 pupils in a particular class who requested for 1 to 1 oral practice, on top of the daily practice they were getting weeks before the exam :faint: That is only one of the four graduating classes I was teaching.
What did I do? Of course I acceded to their request lah. That is also on top of all other 'extra-curricular' (not pertaining to teaching) activities I HAD to be involved in
Its no wonder I suffered from multiple miscarriages then, and blissfully managed to carry to term after I left the service.
Ooooooops :oops: :oops: Am I :offtopic:
We're just suggesting how to improve the current system, to make it better. -
limlim:
autumnbronze:
At a popular sch, I was teaching graduating classes. I had 10 pupils in a particular class who requested for 1 to 1 oral practice, on top of the daily practice they were getting weeks before the exam :faint: That is only one of the four graduating classes I was teaching.
What did I do? Of course I acceded to their request lah. That is also on top of all other 'extra-curricular' (not pertaining to teaching) activities I HAD to be involved in
Its no wonder I suffered from multiple miscarriages then, and blissfully managed to carry to term after I left the service.
Ooooooops :oops: :oops: Am I :offtopic:
but.. not all teachers are like you. If all the teachers are like you, I guess, this thread may not have existed.
We're just suggesting how to improve the current system, to make it better.
Sure.
I can appreciate that.
If that is truly the intention.
But then again not ALL teachers don't don't teach. Not ALL of MOE's directives are flawed. Not ALL teachers who moonlight neglect their kids or teaching responsibilities in school. This last statement is the most baffling of all. Why would they want to overturn their main rice bowl?? That is just a huge risk to take wrt to their career. The civil service doesn't take too kindly to employees who adopt such laissez faire approach.
I will qualify though, that there are bad apples in EVERY profession. Not just restricted to the teaching fraternity.
Sadly, the above mentioned assumptions are consistently being pandered generally. -
autumnbronze:
:goodpost: :goodpost:.
Sadly, the above mentioned assumptions are consistently being pandered generally.
All the myth circulating, posing as truth. -
cherryc:
This is probably an outcome no one will foresee how wrong such academic pursuit can go. Someone shared this story with me along the same line:
Wonder with all the tuitions how come they aren't taught filial piety and self-reliance. For us, we are still discussing primary school education, long road ahead for our financial commitments and definitely, more moral education for the kids.
Mother's stabbing arouses parenting concern
A young man who nearly stabbed his mother to death over an alleged row for money has aroused widespread concern over adequate moral education from China's loving yet high-demanding parents.
The mother, 52-year-old Gu, is still in hospital. [Guangzhou Daily]
The 25-year-old man, surnamed Wang, is accused of stabbing his mother nine times on arrival at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport after five years study in Japan on April 1.
The mother, 52-year-old Gu, narrowly survived and is still in hospital.
Wang told police his mother had started nagging him when she met him at the airport. \"She said she'd rather die than give her son any more money,\" a police officer based at the airport said, quoting Wang.
Wang said his mind went blank, and he took out a knife from his luggage and started to stab her.
Wang was detained at the scene and could not be reached for an interview.
His mother, Gu, refused to recall how it happened in her ward at the People's Hospital in Pudong New District Wednesday. Her roommate said she cried continuously and had been unable to sleep.
Gu's brother-in-law described her as a very caring mother. \"She had to borrow lots of money from friends and relatives for her son to study in Japan.\"
Gu earns about 80,000 yuan (12,248 U.S. dollars) a year selling clothes, but her son's tuition and living expenses in Japan were at least three times higher.
Police began a judicial appraisal on Monday of Wang's mental state, as relatives said he had shown unusual behaviors and complained of hallucinations before his return to Shanghai.
The result of the appraisal had not been released as of Wednesday.
While the motive behind Wang's stabbing remains an enigma, relatives almost unanimously complained of his selfishness and his mother's over willingness to give.
They said Wang rarely worked and relied only on his parents' money.
An economics major at Nihon University, Wang spent 300,000 to 400,000 yuan a year, including 80,000 yuan in tuition and 144,000 yuan in lodging, Gu told Dongfang Daily, a Shanghai-based newspaper.
The tragedy has shocked the Chinese and caused widespread concern over adequate parenting of children.
Nearly two weeks after the stabbing, the accident was still being vigorously discussed on major Chinese parenting websites Wednesday.
Some blamed the tragedy on a lack of moral education at home and at school, saying parents and teachers all pay far more attention to academic performances and often neglect children's moral standards and mental health.
Many Chinese urban parents are loving but highly demanding at the same time, says Ke Yunlu, a noted author on psychology and education. \"They treat their children as babies, care for all their needs and protect them from the least harm, hoping they will live up to their expectations and excel intellectually.\"
The pampering and high expectations are expected to only increase as China's first generation of \"only children\" at home become parents themselves.
In most Chinese cities, competition is white hot for preschoolers to enter top schools and kindergartens and the struggle continues throughout college.
As many parents pledge, they are willing to do anything as long as their children grow up to be \"successful.\" This often leads parents to pay 10 times the family income as sweeteners to place children at desired schools or jobs, which does not necessarily make their children happy.
Some children even break under their parents' heavy expectations, as Liu Hanlin sees it.
Liu, a 2009 graduate from Nagoya University in Japan, had to return home for counseling when he was a boarder at a Tokyo high school, carrying all his parents' ambitions.\" I felt uncomfortable and isolated at school, but my father, who was working at a chemical firm in Tokyo, was always too busy to care.\"
Liu said Wang might be facing similar problems.
A growing number of teenagers have chosen to study abroad in recent years, but experts warn that some of them may not be mature enough to cope with the pressure.
\"They may score high in tests, but may not be independent enough to get along in a new environment, as they are used to the excessive protection from their parents and lack basic social skills,\" said Yang Xiong, a researcher on juvenile studies at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
When these youngsters fail to achieve their goals, the crashing of their dreams on the rocks of cold reality may become the root for severe psychological illness or conflicts with people, said Xie Bin, a Shanghai-based specialist on mental health.
Source: http://www.china.org.cn/china/2011-04/13/content_22352684.htm -
3Boys:
Agreed. Agreed.
:goodpost: :goodpost:autumnbronze:
.
Sadly, the above mentioned assumptions are consistently being pandered generally.
All the myth circulating, posing as truth. -
ksi:
Yes I agree ksi. It would be good to get to the numbers. And indeed, business people have to also be opportunists.
Back to this article, the finding for Singapore is in $$$, they should give an indication of % of students like other countries. Also, enrichment and tuition should be differentiated. To be candid, such articles only prompt the tuition centres to work harder because they realise out of $680M, they are getting only a small fraction, so unless they go by the % of children on TUITION, the problem is still not well-defined.KSP:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/asia-spending-billions-tutors-study-223633801.html
Asian parents are spending billions of dollars on private tutors for their children, and the practice is growing despite doubts over its effectiveness, according to a study published Wednesday.
\"Shadow education\" is an expanding business not only in wealthy countries but also in some of the region's poorer nations as parents try to give their children the best start in life, the Asian Development Bank said.
Nearly nine out of 10 South Korean elementary pupils have private tutoring, while the figure for primary school children in India's West Bengal state is six out of 10.
\"Proportions are lower in other countries, but throughout the region the shadow is spreading and intensifying,\" the study said, calling for a review of education systems to make such extra teaching less attractive.
Extra academic work is aimed at helping slow learners and supporting high achievers, and is seen by many Asian parents as a constructive way for adolescents to spend their spare time.
However, it can also 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 said.
It estimated that the costs of private tutoring in South Korea were equivalent to 80 percent of government spending on public education.
Japan spent $12 billion on extra teaching in 2010, while the figure for Singapore was US$680 million in 2008.
In Hong Kong, where 85 percent of senior secondary students receive tutoring, companies advertise the services of \"star\" tutors, on television, newspapers and the back of buses, the study said.
\"Expenses are lower in other countries, but they are headed in the same direction,\" it added.
But despite its popularity, particularly in East Asia, tutoring has had mixed results, said the study, conducted with the University of Hong Kong's Comparative Education Research Centre.
\"Much depends not only on the motivations and abilities of the students but also on the motivations and abilities of the tutors,\" it said.
\"In many countries, individuals can become tutors without training, and the effectiveness of some forms of tutoring is doubtful.\"
The study called for state supervision and regulation of the industry, as well as a review of Asia's educational systems.
\"They should ask why it (tutoring) exists in the first place, and what can be done in the mainstream to make supplementary tutoring less desirable and necessary.\" -
ksi:
I can see your point and agree with your recommendation. In doing so, it improves the quality of education service providers and perhaps reduce some of them who cannot qualify so this raises our STANDARD of education. Will it reduce the demand for tuition? It may cause the qualified ones to expand their operations and make them richer. Just a thought - for discussion.oxyleo:
Hi ksi,
Yes \"regulation\" is a very broad word, so perhaps we can narrow it down to something softer, lighter, and along the principle of self-regulation, so to speak. I'm thinking more along the lines of an association, with members made up by the tuition centres and individual tutors. The association gets some funding, if deemed appropriate, by MOE, which then co-assists the association's lead members in sharing and encouraging best practices, offers certification etc
Take a look at the role/mission/ code of practice adopted by these two associations for banks and retailers respectively, in Singapore:
http://www.abs.org.sg/aboutus_management.php
http://www.retail.org.sg/
What we have then is a promotion of best practices across members- the tuition agencies and tutors, and a soft approach towards encouraging a code of practices. Some good practices, like not Misrepresenting/ falsifying claims, with slightly more definition, can be applied to Tuition centres.
In fact, the tuition industry may also mirror what is carried out in the broader business world. Businesses get recognized for doing their part in the area of Corporate Social responsibility , and are awarded by business associations. The aim of this is to remind organizations to not just focus on profit and numbers, but also to contribute to the greater good. In education, a good educator embraces ζζζ η±», which means the willingness to teach anyone who is willing to learn. This tuition association could certainly recognize and give awards/ accolades to tutors/ tuition centres who teach not just high achieving/ gep kids, but also the needy for free/ at subsidized rates, and teach all categories of children, vs those that only want to teach the creme ala creme. (Ahem)
Let's remember that the users of the tuition centres are mere children, some starting as young as 2-3 years of age and upwards. If there is any other place that requires service providers to be exemplary in good practices, the tuition industry ought to be one of them.
Swim/ sports coaches themselves join the Singapore Sports Council for certification, I believe. Not sure if it's mandatory though. I recall years back when a swim coach was tried in court for something along the lines of molestation/indecency, some parents, who had children learning under this coach, queried as to why he was allowed to continue teaching when he was already under investigation. It was then discovered that he was not certified unde SSC, which would otherwise have flagged him out (assuming no admin hiccups).
Glad to have your consensus on this ksi. Yes, finding a cure to the current \"madness\" is a tough road ahead. I see the encouragement of best practices across the industry more as a method to the madness. Haha!
You've also raised a valid point that the qualified ones will probably emerge even stronger, but that hopefully also goes in tandem with fellow members checking each other for best practices and behaviour in line with the ethos of education. An obligation to uphold ethics in the eyes of other industry players. -
3Boys:
what myth?
:goodpost: :goodpost:autumnbronze:
.
Sadly, the above mentioned assumptions are consistently being pandered generally.
All the myth circulating, posing as truth. -
limlim:
There were. Maybe you didn't see the comments.
I just talk about ways that could improve the quality of education offered by MOE, and also measures to reduce the negative effects of excessive unnecessary tuition.
No one engages the points directly, or challenge the harm of regulating the industry, but at best come up with terms like \"nanny state\".
Sure, if SG is not a nanny state, why set up CRA?
First, your suggestion about linking the no. of students who go for enrichment/tuition to the school principal/teachers' KPI. Someone posted the comment that this would not capture the whole picture as there will always be those who have stay-at-home parents/grandparents to help coach or enrich the child. That is a valid point. If this is to be linked to KPI, it has to be fair measure and capture the whole picture, not just a segment of it. If I am a teacher and my KPI is linked to such a criteria, an unfair one in my view (since even if I teach the kids passionately and properly, I can't stop parents who may still want to send their children for more enrichment), I probably wouldn't want to make teaching a career to begin with.
Second, your suggestion that MOE should not allow its teachers to moonlight. While I agree that too much moonlighting may interfere with one's duties in school, isn't there already some restriction imposed by MOE on this as posted by someone earlier (Jedamum I think), like not exceeding a certain no. of hours per week? So is your position one of (i) the restriction is too lax; (ii) there is evidence teachers are flouting the restriction; or (iii) there shouldn't be any moonlighting by school teachers, period? If your position is (iii), what right does MOE have to tell its teachers that they are not suppose to moonlight? It is one's livelihood afterall.
Third, your suggestion about regulating advertisements by the tuition/enrichment centres. That to me should be caveat emptor. Not that it is not good for us consumers for advertisements to be regulated, etc., but have you thought of the consequence of this? This so-called protection for the sonsumer has to be extended to what else and stop at where? Being a nanny state in some aspects does not mean that people ought to be protected to the extreme for everything. Your comparing tuition to gambling is totally off balance, to be blunt about it. One has obvious consequence to the society, the other...? I am still scratching my head and you never reply to that question except for two words, nanny state. Why don't you try to answer this question for once? -
I donβt disagree that there may be areas for MOE to improve on, and maybe indeed the KPIs set for schools and teachers are causing too much wayang that has affeceted teaching, but to move the focus from that to regulating the tuition sector, or banning it, or stopping teachers from moonlighting, is just not the right approach in my mind.
There are many other better ways. And I agree with another forummer who said that MOE should look into making kindergarten education a compulsory one. That is levelling up those might otherwise have been disadvantaged.
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