Is Tuition truly Necessary?

Tuition is a common activity that most children engaged in over the weekday nights or weekends in Singapore. Almost every parent believes that without tuition, their children will not be able to do well or will fall behind their classmates in the daily schoolwork, the quarterly tests and the year-end examinations. However, is that really true? Can tuition truly help children improve their grades to a point that they excel in every single subject? Some parents beg to differ.

In a survey done by The Straits Time, about 20% of parents interviewed do not agree that tuition can truly improve their children’s grades or to help their children achieve better in their schoolwork. These parents focus on developing their children in other areas such as communication, character-building and the arts. Here are some reasons why they are refusing tuition for their children.

1) There is more to life than rushing from one tuition class to another
Parents who refuse tuition for their children usually believe that life is more than just tuition. They allow their children to explore nature, find and solve problems on their own, and encourage them to learn through play. These parents may not be the strictest, but they believe that their children can benefit more by learning through play and exploration.

2) They can teach their children on their own
Some parents who refuse tuition are able to teach their children on their own. These parents might be stay-at-home mothers who have the ability to be on hands when their children are studying. These parents usually have attended some classes to learn how to teach their own children and are able to sit with their children for a few hours a day to go through their schoolwork.

3) They believe in allowing their children to learn at their own pace
Parents who refuse tuition also believe in allowing their children to learn at their own pace. They are not fearful that their children are unable to catch up with the rest of the class or to come in last in class. They do not want to stress the children out by sending them to numerous classes every week but allow them to explore and learn at their own pace. This approach might cause their children to lag behind in some ways, but they believe that it is the best way forward.

4) They do not believe their children’s grades are improving even with tuition
This group of parents are those who have tried tuition and did not see results from the tuition classes. Their children might even have a worse grade after tuition. These parents understood that their children might not have responded well to extra lessons and hence choose to let these children find their way.

Regardless of what reasons these parents might have, they have one thing in common: They do not believe that tuition solves the problem of their children’s struggle in school but tried to strike a balance in their children’s overall education.