MPs on tuition: 'It may not always work'

He counts himself lucky that his three children do not require tuition. But Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, who is also a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, admits that there were occasions when he was tempted to sign them up for such classes.

Last year, his 13-year-old daughter went through the most important exam of her life - the Primary School Leaving Examination. Like most concerned parents, Mr Baey was worried about his child's T-score.

"Her mathematics grades were good, but they were not fantastic, so I asked her if we should get a tutor." But his wife was not keen and the couple eventually dropped the idea.

Nonetheless, his daughter did well for her exams without any tuition. She is now a student at Dunman High School.

On hindsight, Mr Baey thinks that he made the right decision. "I think some students become dependent on their tutors and they wouldn't make the effort to solve their own problems."

He pointed out that students are provided resources in the form of remedial and supplementary classes. "Tuition could possibly be an additional burden for the child," he said.

More recently, his youngest daughter, a Primary 3 pupil, was scraping a pass on her common test for maths and science. Again, he was a little worried and considered tuition. But he decided to give her some time and monitor the situation.

Improvement

Her older brother, 10, was told to coach her in her studies. His patience has paid off and there is now an improvement in her grades.

"Some parents just jump in (and send their kids for tuition) when they don't do well. But it may not always work." Mr Baey also pointed out that his children are well-disciplined when it comes to their studies and he has the support of his stay-at-home wife and mother. And he thinks that he will only send his children for tuition "if they have been failing for an extended period of time".

Even then, he will discuss with the teacher to find out the possible reasons why the child may be failing. "Or it could be the exam, maybe the whole class failed too," he joked.

In Parliament on Monday, Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah pointed out that tuition is not necessary with the Ministry of Education's comprehensive levelling-up programmes and the additional support given by the community.

She added that the education system was "designed to be passed without tuition".

Nominated MP Janice Koh had earlier asked if the ministry has data which may indicate that households which can afford tuition are at an advantage.

Ms Indranee said the ministry does not have the data to make assessments, but would look carefully at the possibility of conducting such a study.

Mr Baey admitted that there may be some parents who still feel that tuition is necessary for "getting their kids from an A to an A star".

"Often it is about the parent's expectations. It is usually the parents, rather than the kids, who request for tuition."

And the question of whether tuition affects social mobility?

Mr Baey thinks that it depends on the definition of success.

"If progress in career and life is defined by academics, yes, there is a chance that tuition will play a part in social mobility."

He is also an optimist when it comes to results. "There will be a last in every class. But it does not necessarily mean that they are doing badly," he said.

What other MPs say

"Tuition does help to produce better exam results, but does it produce good education outcomes? "Holistic education is about enabling students to solve their own problems and building resilience.

It's not about being spoon-fed.

But tuition may not be educating them in the right way. We are not producing enough of the right type of workers for the economy or citizens for the country. "If parents have the money, of course they will invest in education.

Apart from whether it is necessary, tuition may reduce social mobility.

"But in our system, there are some disadvantaged children who require tuition because they may be lagging behind due to poor development opportunities when they are younger."

- Nominated MP Laurence Lien, CEO, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre

"In the current context, tuition might be necessary if a student is weak in a subject.

"But the first port-ofcall must be the subject teacher or the school's remedial programmes, not private tutors. "Anecdotal evidence suggests that even school teachers sometimes recommend private tuition as a solution for under-performing kids. Is it because they're overloaded?

"It also surprises me when I see academically gifted students attending enrichment classes to better their grades. "The way I see it, if a child is coping well at school or performing to their potential, why not let him or her spend time outdoors or on activities that develop them in other ways, like sports or the arts?

"Nevertheless, it is a personal choice and it is natural for parents to want the best for their child. In a competitive, high-stakes environment like Singapore, many parents see that as providing their children with the best opportunities possible to succeed academically.

I, too, send my children for Chinese enrichment because they're struggling with the language and I don't want them to fall behind.

"The question here is not about judging the choices of parents. It is about the need for more data to assess the relationship between tuition, household income and impact on social mobility. Available data shows that higher income households are spending more on enrichment classes and tuition compared to poorer households.

"But there is no precise information examining the effect of private tuition on the educational attainment and outcomes of children from different households. In a society of rising income inequality, I think this issue requires further study."

- Nominated MP Janice Koh, who has children in Primary 1 and Primary 3

"Taking tuition is a habit for students from both well-off and not well-off family backgrounds. "Even the self-help groups are providing tuition for those who are less well-off. Some benefit from this intervention, some use it as a security blanket.

"Not all students benefit and in some cases, it becomes a hindrance to learning how to be more self-driven in one's learning, which is a critical skill in the 21st century."

- MP Denise Phua, Deputy Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education

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