Excessive homework leaves pupils no time to rest

While there may be reasons for or against tuition, I wish to raise the point that tuition is not the culprit taxing our children. Rather, it is Singapore’s education system (“Tuition taking a toll on our children”; July 13).

In the pursuit of academic excellence, pupils are given homework almost every day. It would be rare if my children come home from school without any homework.

Normally, more homework is given on Fridays, as the teachers’ mentality is that the pupils have the whole weekend to do it. The same goes for public holidays that fall on a weekday.

Homework and projects are assigned even during the one-week holidays in March and September, or the one-month holiday in June. Some students must also return to school for compulsory co-curricular activities (CCAs).

When I plan a family vacation during the school holidays, I must factor in work commitments and the CCA schedule as well as set aside time for my children to complete their assignments.

There is hardly any time for students and their parents to take a breather and truly rejuvenate mind and body.

Until we break away from this vicious circle of school and homework, can we blame parents for sending their children for tuition, whether to stay ahead or just to catch up?

I send my children for mathematics tuition because I find the subject challenging, especially the problem sums at the upper primary levels.

My children also go for Chinese tuition, as the tutor can equip them with techniques to tackle comprehension passages, write better compositions and be prepared for the oral examinations.

I look out for tutors who do not ply my children with more homework, as I think the one to two hours spent at tuition on each subject would be enough to help them.