From the Editorial Team
11th October 2022

The overwhelming workload of the Singaporean education system could come as a shock to many parents, despite them having been through the very same system before. Many parents opt to send their children to tuition classes to lighten some of the burdens on themselves.

In Singapore, good grades and the necessary qualifications (usually a university degree or prior experience having taught in an MOE school) are the norm for tuition teachers. This allows parents to rest assured that the tutors themselves have had hands-on experience in the very subject and style of teaching which their children experience.

Tutors can help their students in attempting past year papers of the various exams they need to take. For example, secondary school students sitting for their O Levels usually practise using their “10-years Series”. This helps them spot the patterns in the way questions are asked and craft answers according to the model answers provided.

Tutors can also help in various other ways which may not be obvious at first. For example, if a student has problems managing his or her time and coping with the studying of the many topics needed to sit for their exams, a tutor could help in managing their workload and time so that their tasks are divided into more manageable pieces.

The traditional form of tutoring for exam preparation is not the only benefit of having tuition classes for students. With a tutor, students may feel as if there is a figure of authority who is capable of guiding them through the complex mass of subjects and topics required to be prepared before any examination.

Parents should decide which subjects their children require tuition for before signing up for tuition classes. Talking to their children to find out the areas of difficulty could be a good first step for parents to assess how much a tutor is required to better help their children with their workload.