Asia spending billions on tutors: study
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FQW:
I agree with FQW.
I'm also a taxpayer and I'm concerned when I see suggestions that will consume a lot of resources if implemented, but in return yields debatable, if any benefit - similar viewpoint as mentioned by others earlier.limlim:
And, I am a taxpayer and I am concerned if teachers are devoting the best to the public schools and not private practice.
Of course, am not saying all teachers are bad, MOE no good.
Let's analyse the suggestion:
On licensing all tutors, I too do not think academic qualification equates to suitability of tutors. And since tutors do not need to manage a full class of students, NIE qualification is less of a concern too. Interestingly, if such licensing is needed, wouldn't it increase the demand for current school teachers? I thought that was one of the main problems brought up?
On collecting data pertaining to tuition after the licensing of tutors - again, since considerable amount of resources would need to be put into collecting the data, as a taxpayer, I question the need for such data and whether it can indeed be collected.
Firstly, what is the ultimate use of this data? for us to know % of students attending tuition? if so, why do we want to know? is it because we want to know how much of a child's academic achievement is due to own ability, how much credit to school teachers? how much credit to tutors or external enrichment centres? How well a child does academically typically depends on 1. intelligence/natural ability 2. learning attitude/maturity/willingness to work hard 3. support from family/school or what we could collectively call nurture. Since all 3 factors play important parts, I don't think we could say any of these factors is more \"worthy\" - does a born intelligent person really deserve to succeed more than someone who works harder, or someone who happened to have supportive family? If one factor is not more worthy than another, why do we want to care so much which factor gets more credit?Having said that, I perfectly understand the need to level the playing field for the needy family whose children could lose out if they lack the 3rd factor \"nurture\". That's why I fully support the government providing sufficient support to these families and children. However, collecting data on tuition or curbing tuition or equating tuition to drugs/gambling do not help in this regard at all.
The second part is on how practical is this suggestion. I explained before, not attending tuition does not mean not getting external help, how about help from parents, elder siblings, relatives? Do we say these don't count since no money is involved? Then again, back to my above question, what exactly is the purpose of collecting such data?
If the concern is about the money involved in tuition industry. Then we could say we rather the government spending the money - for example, by drasticallly increasing the number of teachers/reducing the class sizes, conducting in school supplementary lessons etc. Money is still needed here, but spent in a different way. I think there could be merits to these alternative ways of spending money in education. That certainly could be considered/studied/evaluated. But that discussion is of different nature from what we are hearing so far in this thread and many earlier threads on this topic.
I have nothing against limlim, just thinking about some of the suggestions put forward. Hope I am not seen as defending/bashing anyone or being unemphathetic. -
Today, Sat 14 July, there is a general smell of reconciliation in the air in this thread, and I am witnessing a wonderful display of maturity from both sides (for the most part).
Congratulations fellow writers, including limlim, autumnbronze, busy mom, cherryc, wonderm, FQW and others.
And Chen - welcome back!
Singfrench - I have yet to digest your post. Let me chew on it and get back to you ok?
yours has a few tricky areas ah, but well-written. Hehheh.
I am learning again, from each of you, what you write, and how you write it.
And I salute you. -
Busymom:
Tutor's qualification, background(?), NIE trained or not etc..
What sort of data can we get from licensing that can determine some course of action? Don't get me wrong, not criticizing you, just want to hear what do you have in mind.
Also while some parents would like to engage licensed tutors, I think word of mouth and track record would be more important factors that affect a parent's decision of whether to engage a tutor.
Wouldn't the MOE be interested, or should be interested, in the makeup/demographics of this billion dollar industry..?
it may yield some interesting results..
Which, at this moment, is just speculation or \"hearsay\".
Singapore has no natural resources. The only resource she has is the people.
And, education is a very important element to the success of the nation.
It makes sense to be prudence and keep a close watch over what the national education program leads to.
e.g. reliance/dependency on tuition, culture etc..
Nanny state.. maybe.. but it pays to be cautious.. -
autumnbronze - first of all, :thankyou: for your courage to share your point of view first hand as a teacher. It is never easy to speak of something that is so close to the heart, especially if they are not happy things, or easily conveyed things. Thank you.
Second - your observations do sound like good sense. Do you know if similar feedback is already given to MOE by other teachers?
If not, I hope MOE does visit this forum, and at least chew on your points. Worthwhile observation since it comes from an insider.
Third - you wrote last night in a separate post about not getting enough bouquets for teaching. It struck a chord with me and I agree. My own father was a teacher. :salute: The teachers I have the good fortune to work with whilst volunteering at my son's school are really professional jugglers, of pretty much everything. And as my son's teacher quipped, a mask-changing performer also. I have witnessed her having to, within seconds, transition from smiling and encouraging the well-behaved and shy ones in class, to joking and laughing with the interactive ones, to shouting and threatening the misbehaving pranksters!
I love her every bit, as does my son, and I hope to remain her lifelong friend if fate would have it.autumnbronze:
My take ...
1. If all unnecessary admin work and 'extra-curricular' activities that the teachers have to be involved in to make them look good in their work
review are taken away from them, everything else will fall into place
2. Stringent interview and training process where those who are entering the profession to ride out the economic down turn for instance as opposed to those who are really passionate in teaching have to be sieved out. This would mean that those who obtained their degrees via part time studies in private institutions (accredited of course) will have to be considered, in addition to those who studied via the conventional route
This is the root of the problem. Not the moonlighting or whatever
else.
My 2 cents. -
Chenonceau:
I didn't delete anything.........
Autumnbronze (I still owe you a PM sista...
)... does this pour oil upon your troubled waters? :hugs: I dunno why limlim deleted it... hmmmmmm...limlim:
Alright, banning tuition was a bad idea.. no issue with that.. sorry to suggest that. :imsorry:
Just talking about some regulation and control now..
What I said about the \"injustice\" is.. I can accept it.. Actually, I also support it. it has to be, for the greater good and comfort of all passengers.. even if I feel it is not fair to me.. but I SUPPORT it.
Can the others accept the same? -
Busymom:
No.. I guess you misunderstood my comment..Chen, on your suggestions on how to help teachers, just want to tell you that when I commented that it is fine for materials from one school to be shared with another school, there are some who think that it is wrong. Materials developed by a school should remain within that school, otherwise it is a conflict of interest.
So you see, even if you think certain suggestions are fine and should work, there are always others who think otherwise. MOE's role is therefore not an easy one as in it can't please everyone.
I believe that is what some of us are trying to say.
Btw, I also owe you a PM. :imsorry: will get to it.
Free sharing is good.. no doubts about that.. If they put it up on the internet for free, it would be so noble. Or they could share it via free tuition lessons for needy families, it would be noble too.
It is the use of the materials for personal gain and profit that is not desirable.
I didn't say materials within a school shd remain within that school.
I say materials developed via public funding should not be use as instrument or tools for personal gain.
For public benefit, it is good and most welcomed. -
wonderm:
Is there a need to license hawkers handling food?
Let's analyse the suggestion:
On collecting data pertaining to tuition after the licensing of tutors - again, since considerable amount of resources would need to be put into collecting the data, as a taxpayer, I question the need for such data and whether it can indeed be collected.
Does it involve considerate amount of resources to collect the data on who are the licensed food hawkers?
Is education as important as food?
What if the data shows that something is seriously flawed?
Is there a need to fear the data? (just wondering)
When the govt launch the IRs, CRA was setup. I wonder how much resources was put into it. Does monitoring gambling is more worthy than monitoring the education industry? And no, CRA does not only monitor customers.. it monitor the operators.. closely.
can spend on gambling, cannot spend on education?
plus, it is only maybe one dept in MOE, rather than an entirely new authority. -
KSP:
I thereby declare that KSP is the diabolical Ruler of the Axis of Evil bcos his creation of this contentious thread led to so much mud-slinging.
So what's the 4D number for tonight? Just have few mins to login here inbetween tuitions..... one of the many who contributing to the billion $ industry here.....
oxyleo:
I thereby declare that Chen is the true Mother of Peace whose mere presence here in this thread stopped two marauding armies from swarming at each other.Today, Sat 14 July, there is a general smell of reconciliation in the air in this thread, and I am witnessing a wonderful display of maturity from both sides (for the most part).
wonderm:
This view was mentioned earlier in the thread. I simply echoed it.
I agree with FQW.FQW:
I'm also a taxpayer and I'm concerned when I see suggestions that will consume a lot of resources if implemented, but in return yields debatable, if any benefit - similar viewpoint as mentioned by others earlier.
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Just logged in and I see this..
oxyleo:
World War III may be averted! :imcool:Today, Sat 14 July, there is a general smell of reconciliation in the air in this thread, and I am witnessing a wonderful display of maturity from both sides (for the most part).
FQW:
Yes, most deserving, coz with my very earnest pleading \"pls understand our intentions are good\" , we were still not exactly making any headway. The crossfire continued. :scared:I thereby declare that Chen is the true Mother of Peace whose mere presence here in this thread stopped two marauding armies from swarming at each other.
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Ooooooi bro FQW, KSP is a 'her' addoi
What an apt title for Chen!! Mother of Peace indeed :hi5:
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