Singapore - A Globe-Class Education Hub With Sky-High Tuition Expenses3982273
Singapore's education system has been described as "globe-leading" and was among these picked out for commendation by British education minister, Michael Gove, last year. Perhaps, the government's efforts in providing every child with schooling opportunities are indeed laudable, but nonetheless, parents complain of the rigid and competitive nature of this extremely system. So perhaps, the most nerve-wrecking, mind-boggling issue on every Singaporean parent's mind is how can my child be one of the very best? Certainly, the current implementation of "Teach Much less, Learn More" does nothing to ease this tension, and to study independently seems not to be the nature of our law-abiding children, whom our Western counterparts have a tendency to dismiss as "lacking the inquisitive spirit and/or innovation". But it seems our parents have found an alternative to induce this 'spirit' - through intensive tuition.
H2 Mathematics Tuition and H2 Physics Tuition are two of the most common subjects being sort after by Singapore's high school students to be tutored. A Sunday Times poll conducted by the Straits Times found that out of 100 students, 97 students are attending tuition. Singaporean parents are enrolling their children in multiple tuition centers, many prepared to spend up to S$3000 a month engaging multiple Top Tutors- particularly for higher level education, e.g., Junior College and/or greater. With the aim of establishing a robust Science Hub, Singaporean parents see the require for their child to be equipped with the essential, and therefore are willing to spend, regardless the price, for essential science stream subjects, investing in H2 Mathematics Tuition and H2 Physics Tuition.
There are parents who prefer to engage Top Tutors for private home tuition, which are particularly common for high school students dealing with much more complicated and difficult subjects. The prices for Top Tutors can range from S$35/hr to S$80/hr based on the recognition and level of the tutor. Group or class tuition is also increasingly accessible in Singapore. Not only is it a less expensive alternative, they also feel that their child will benefit and learn much more from interacting with others whilst asking questions during tuition - a form of inducing an inquisitive spirit. The class size of a typical H2 Physics Tuition or H2 Mathematics Tuition classes are frequently small for effective teaching and learning.
