According to research by the Straits Times, 70% of Singaporean parents have enrolled their children in primary school tuition at some point. The number is slightly higher than that of children in secondary school attending tuition.
What makes primary school tuition this popular in Singapore? Considering the cost of tuition, most parents spend an average of $500 a month. This is a sacrifice for many Singapore households, which make sacrifices to send their children to enrichment classes.
There are several reasons why some families enroll their children in primary school tuition. Some even make changes to their lifestyle to afford the tuition cost.
Fear Of Children Falling Behind
Some argue that the motivation behind the tuition culture is fear of the gruelling education system. Some parents worry that their children cannot keep up with the demanding curriculum and need extra help to cope.
Eight in every ten children attend tuition in primary school. Some parents send their children to tuition to stay caught up in schoolwork.
Kiasu Parenting
Kiasu parenting has contributed to the emergence of enrichment centres. These are popping up everywhere in response to the demand for tuition services. Some parents send their children to enrichment classes because other parents do it.
Parents Struggle to Help Their Children
The curriculum has changed over the years. Parents who have been out of school for decades may not offer the assistance the children need with their homework or topics they don’t understand.
Tuition ensures children get the help they need with their school work, and the parents are saved from the stress of not being able to help their children with school work, as they might not know the correct approach.
Lack Of Time to Help with Homework
In 1980, dual-income households in Singapore were 27%. In 2020, this number had grown to 60%. Since most households now have a dual income, parents may be at work when their children come from school, so they may not be around to help with homework.
Primary school tuition ensures children get extra hours for academic work while their parents are at work. This is also when they get help with subjects they struggle with in school.
Students Learn at Their Pace
Tuition is popular in Singapore because it allows students to learn at their own pace. In schools, teachers have a schedule to follow to complete the curriculum. This may work with some students, but not all.
Primary school tuition gives students a chance to learn at their pace. The tutor’s primary objective is to help students understand and overcome their challenges in specific subjects.
Most tuition centres have aligned their lessons with the MOE curriculum. However, they do not face any pressure to complete the curriculum, as with regular school classes. So, the tutors focus on improved performance of the students, over completing the curriculum.
The popularity of tuition in Singapore has grown significantly over the years. Some countries have sought to find out why Singapore continues to excel in Maths and science subjects. This has been linked to the tuition culture, where most students get help on specific subjects.