Singapore - A World-Class Education Hub With Sky-High Tuition Costs1389652
Singapore's education system has been described as "globe-top" and was among these picked out for commendation by British education minister, Michael Gove, last year. Maybe, the government's efforts in supplying 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 problem on every Singaporean parent's mind is how can my child be one of the best? Surely, the recent implementation of "Teach Less, Learn Much more" does absolutely nothing to ease this tension, and to study independently seems not to be the nature of our law-abiding kids, whom our Western counterparts tend to dismiss as "lacking the inquisitive spirit and/or innovation". But it appears our parents have discovered an option 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 numerous tuition centers, many prepared to spend up to S$3000 a month engaging multiple Top Tutors- especially for higher level education, e.g., Junior College and/or higher. With the aim of establishing a robust Science Hub, Singaporean parents see the need for their child to be equipped with the essential, and hence are prepared to pay, regardless the cost, for crucial science stream subjects, investing in H2 Mathematics Tuition and H2 Physics Tuition.
There are parents who favor to engage Top Tutors for private home tuition, which are especially common for high school students dealing with more complicated and tough subjects. The rates for Top Tutors can range from S$35/hr to S$80/hr depending on the recognition and level of the tutor. Group or class tuition is also increasingly accessible in Singapore. Not only is it a cheaper option, they also feel that their child will benefit and learn more from interacting with other people whilst asking questions during tuition - a form of inducing an inquisitive spirit. The class size of a common H2 Physics Tuition or H2 Mathematics Tuition classes are often small for efficient teaching and learning.
