The Tuition Syndrome

Sir, Singapore has not been called a tuition nation for nothing. The tuition industry was estimated to be about $800 million in 2008; the size could well be more than $1 billion by now.

Almost every student, rich or poor, receives some form of tuition outside the normal school hours. Some genuinely need the extra help. Some do it out of fear of not doing well enough. Yet others who do not need the tuition do it out of habit or to address their sense of insecurity. Many Ministry teachers are part-time home tutors. Some teach at tuition agencies. Some teachers quit the MOE to start lucrative tutoring businesses of their own.

To keep their reputations and branding intact, some agencies conduct assessments not for the purpose of placement, but to select high-potential applicants. A concerning trend has developed and was publicised recently – the rise of private tutors who charge up to $250 per hour to complete the homework of students given by either their schools or their "top-notch" tuition agencies.

There are many contributing factors for the thriving private tutoring business. Here are some: many Asian parents – some of us here too – value education as the passport to doing well in life. Acing high-stake exams, such as the Primary 4 streaming, PSLE and GCE exams, opens doors to limited places in what parents perceive as the elite schools. Scholarships and even employment to better jobs in the public service and private sector are perceived to be offered primarily based on academic achievements.

Sir, to turn a blind eye to the "tuition syndrome" is untenable. However, addressing it is not a simple matter. I propose we give MOE and stakeholders some time but address it, we must. I call for the setting up of a Think Tank that involves MOE, political and civil service leaders, parent workgroups, and other key stakeholders. The team needs to think out of the box; identify the triggers leading to this insatiable hunger for more and more tuition; get rid of some high-stake exams and, perhaps, even learn from the top-rated tutors in the industry. At a macro level, the Think Tank will need to engage a larger population to articulate and apply the values and norms to dream, design and deliver an education system that truly will lead to an inclusive and strong society. It is better to be late than never.