Tuition reinforces idea that learning should be for the sake of examinations

I am alarmed by the prevailing mindset among Singaporean parents and students that tuition is necessary in order to survive and thrive in our education system. Two motivations propel people to jump on the tuition bandwagon: The desire to get further ahead with better scores; or simply to ensure one can pass the all-important national examinations.

In a utopian scenario, the school system alone would be enough to help students do well. And as shown by global assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment, Singapore has one of the best education systems in the world.

The National Institute of Education has helped to enhance teacher training, but there will always be differences in the quality of educators, which cause parents and students to seek out tuition when they think their teachers are unable to help. Perhaps we should examine how to better assess the quality of teachers, and offer assurances to parents.

Also, the tuition craze boils down to the flawed idea that the only way to achieve success is by getting good grades. We need to re-examine the purpose of education. Education empowers one to contribute to society. A person who has good grades may not necessarily contribute well to society.

As the purpose of tuition is to help students do well in examinations, it is reinforcing the idea that learning should be for the sake of examinations only. Learning should be self-directed, driven by curiosity rather than grades. Tuition is like a pair of crutches — and being reliant on crutches in the long term causes one to never learn to walk on one’s own. It also means one will never become an independent learner, because it is easy to rely on one’s tutor rather than putting more effort into one’s studies.

Changing the mindset that tuition is necessary is easier said than done, because the importance of good grades is deeply ingrained in our culture. A change in policy can help, but changing a mindset would take many years.

The shift towards a more holistic education is a right one, but if teachers are still being assessed based on their students’ academic performance, the emphasis will still be on academics. Then, it will be inevitable that parents continue to send their children to tuition.