Tuition in Singapore is something of a norm. Given that the education system and Singaporean society as a whole adhere (almost religiously, I might add) to the concept of Meritocracy, parents with additional resources would want to ensure that their children gets ahead of the curve. At the same time, there inevitably will arise questions over the most suitable form of tuition.
While there are certainly more nuances on the demand side of the tuition industry, this article breaks down why group tuition certainly brings more value or your buck as opposed to other forms of tuition in Singapore.
In a class tuition, class sizes can easily balloon up to 30 or even 40 students. This is understandable, given that tuition centres in Singapore are for-profit and would definitely seek to optimise the usage of their space, staff’s time, and resources to minimise any opportunity costs.
Yet, at the same time, given the class sizes, teachers may have to expend more effort in classroom management. Granted, for any teacher worth their salt, this certainly should not an issue, but this certainly raises another problem: The bigger the class size, the more diluted the teacher’s attention becomes.
As a result, class tuition may end up being too disengaging. The manner in which the lesson is delivered becomes more of a lecture where information flows one-way from the teacher to the student, often with the expectation that students accept the information without any actual engagement. Learning is undermined and thus becomes rote; in which case, it becomes studying or revision, rather than learning.
In addition, if we consider that for parents are paying an average (as of 2023) of $320 for class tuition in Singapore, that is effectively $40 an hour to study. Some centres even have prices of over $400!
Arguably, parents are paying for their children to have access to a teacher to guide them in their work, but in which case, students can simply ask their school teachers for a consultation to clarify their doubts. Certainly, teachers are incredibly busy people, (I would know) but teachers are always happy to help their students and they will always have time for any student that takes the initiative to schedule a consultation.
Now, at this juncture, parents may ask, “Why not have my child attend 1-to-1 tuition instead?” Certainly, that is an option. In 1-to-1 tuition in Singapore, engagement (depending on the teacher’s lesson plan) is certainly a non-factor.
However, while a teacher can certainly probe and stretch their students’ ability, the flow of information is once again a one-way street given the inevitable implicit establishment hierarchical relationship between a teacher and their student. The groundwork for such a paradigm has already been established in school through routines; it should come as no surprise, then, that this spills over into tuition lessons as well.
Furthermore, the purpose of practices in lessons is to assess whether students have the ability to generate their own ideas in accordance to the instruction provided by the teacher. Yet, since they are doing the lessons alone, 1-to-1 students do not have the option of consulting with their peers over whether their ideas are logically sound and/or coherent.
In such a scenario, the only option is for the teacher to step in and guide the student through the steps of doing their work. Such handholding, if undertaken consistently through the student’s academic career, only undermines their ability to think on their feet, which in turn limits their exam preparedness.
The paradigm underpinning tuition in Singapore is one where parents seek maximum value for a reasonable price. This would be especially so given the recent hike in GST and the eventual second hike; the increase in the prices of goods and services have hit where it hurt the most: our wallets. Group tuition in Singapore is consistent with this paradigm to a tee.
On the issue of engagement, group tuition (of sizes of 4 to 5 students per group) is optimal as the students AND the teacher can exchange ideas, provide feedback for one another’s work and learn from one another. (Yes, teachers also learn; in fact, they are the ones who need to constantly learn.) At the same time, it is of a size for a single teacher to manage to ensure optimal amounts of engagement and the dispersal of attention between these students.
Additionally, while the hierarchical relationship must still be established, there is much more room for students to debate their teacher on their answers and learn from it as they now have the support of their fellow groupmates. The lessons thus become significantly more dynamic, with an almost laissez-faire, open exchange of ideas and information within the parameters of the discussion that are established by the teacher.
In group tuitions, if we have students from different schools and walks of life coming together to learn, this may potentially provide grounds for forging new bonds. They can maintain connections and network, which can be helpful for their own futures, be it in their professional or personal lives.
Furthermore, on an individual level, such an arrangement is great for the development of social skills. The teenage years is one of the most delicate periods in a person’s life, as it is the period where they are truly attempting to find themselves and discover their own identities. Being exposed to other students from different cultural backgrounds and the such within a safe space will help them develop their social and emotional awareness. Furthermore, such varied experiences can also keeps students grounded.
Adults all know the importance of separating work from home. Since working, providing for our families and loved ones, or even for ourselves, etc., is a constant grind, we need to find pockets of space here and there to relax.
The same applies for students. While they can do their homework at home, home is still home: it may be too comfortable. It is, after all, a space for relaxation and to take one’s mind off the daily grind. As such, getting into the mindset to learn and study – which is the equivalent of working for students – can be quite challenging.
In addition, to truly stretch one’s potential, we need to break out of our comfort zones. Getting out of their homes and attending group tuition lessons help students ease into the learning mindset, as they will be in an environment that encourages learning and productivity in a suitably comfortable manner, yet not so comfortable that they procrastinate and lose focus.
This brings us to the learning environment itself. It is imperative that learning takes place in an environment that is quiet and free of distractions while having the necessary access to amenities like stationery, free-flow water, comfortable temperatures and learning resources.
At the same time, should students be hungry, there should be quick access to food outlets nearby. Group tuition in Singapore can easily provide these amenities, be it in a tuition centre setting or in a public area.
The Discourse Education offers group tuition in Singapore for these very reasons. We have a convenient location in KAP Mall, with a cosy yet quirky environment for students to learn. In addition, we also have free-flow water and a pantry to fulfill students’ hunger and thirst pangs. In our lessons, we utilise our high-quality in-house notes for the subjects that we offer, be it GP, English or even H2 History, to get students engaged in discourse. In addition, the teacher has years of experience in teaching the aforementioned subjects. Learn more about our teacher by reading more About Us.