Singapore, a Tuition Nation

Dubbed as the “Tuition Nation”, Singapore breeds and perpetuates a robust tuition industry. It is common knowledge that Singapore, as a qualification-conscious country, places a heavy emphasis on the importance of education. However, not every student can perform up to the demanding elite standards that are desired. Inevitable as that is, the call for a solution is clear: private tuition picks up the call.

From being used to plug the gaps in the education system, private tuition has since been used as a tool for added assured academic excellence. This is witnessed through the astounding fluctuating popularity of private tuition employed by not only students that are academically weak but also by those who are already achieving higher than average grades to attain distinctions. In a recent survey conducted on the tuition scene in Singapore, 67% of Singaporeans with kids have enrolled their children in tuition at some point in time, this makes up roughly two-thirds of the equation thus meaning that when a student in Singapore does not enlist the help of private tuition, that student belongs to the minority. Even students that attend the top schools in Singapore hire private tutors to not only help them to achieve top marks in school but also as a reminder to remain competitive. 23% of Singaporeans with kids have the intention to enrol their children for private tuition in the future and that would reflect a burgeoning prosperous tuition scene that has the potential to be a commonality or even a necessity in the future.

There is a variety of private tuition options in Singapore such as group or one-to-one to cater to each student’s needs. The prices range according to the qualifications of the tutor and the grade level of the student. Private tuition is proving to be a lucrative option as amateur tutors can earn from $15 to $20 per lesson; coupled with the high and growing demand for tuition such as the 23% of Singaporeans that plan to enrol their children for tuition in the future, it is only consistent that the private tuition scene multiplies in size per day. Furthermore, private tuition is taken place outside of typical school hours thus allowing tutors to tailor their availability periods to their students’. Tutors can range from simply A level/diploma graduates to current/ex-schoolteachers and this reflects a serious private tuition culture forming as a variety is now available to parents in accordance to their willingness to spend on tuition.

Essentially, Singapore’s private tuition scene has become so proliferated that it has grown into an industry. Reasons for this stems from the increased demand for tuition due to the high level of competition in Singapore’s race for academic excellence. As the private tuition industry continues to thrive, many people are opting to switch careers to the much more convenient and lucrative idea of providing tuition, this coupled with the excessive culture of competition in Singapore, the extent to which the private tuition scene can grow is equivocal.

Related to: For Parents  For Students  Opinion