09 October 2019
Singapore households spent S$1.4 billion on tuition, based on the Household Expenditure Survey conducted by the Department of Statistics from October 2017 to September 2018.
The growth of the tuition industry in Singapore is fuelled primarily by two factors: Increasing average real incomes of households and the desire for parents to see their children keep up with the competition.
The fact that anyone can be a freelance tutor in Singapore implies that we have a spectrum of tutors, differing in terms of quality.
There is a need to educate students and their parents so that they will be empowered to select their tutors effectively.
In selecting tutors, students should ask:
(i) Does this tutor have a proven track record?
(ii) Does he / she possess the necessary qualifications to teach the subject?
(iii) Has my appreciation of the subject increased since I started receiving coaching from him/her?
Choosing tutors based on these considerations rather than a focus on the tuition fees will enable students to select tutors who will more effectively help them.