I almost did a double take when I came across a news article
reporting that in a neighboring country, parents are going for tuition classes!
It had always been the norm for school going children to go
for tuition classes in subjects they are not good in so that they will be able
to perform better in school.
Thus, tuition centers mushroomed and sadly, one finds that
such centers have 20 or more students in each class. How much attention will a
student get from his or her tuition teacher? The scenario will be a repeat of
what is in schools.
Some teachers give private tuition in their homes but their
students are of different levels and grouped together. So, again how much can a
teacher coach the students when they are from different classes?
The latest as reported in the newspaper, is the parents
themselves are going for tuition. The rationale is that they will then be able
to understand what their children are learning and they will be able to help the
children when problems arise, especially in mathematics and science.
The centers offer workshops and crash courses and they
charge a handsome fee depending on the level in the elementary school. If your
child is in a higher class, the parent is charged more.
In mathematics, parents are taught how to apply the various
concepts to different questions so that they will be able to coach their
children effectively.
The parents are also given examination tips. They are made
aware of the common mistakes made by pupils and the concepts that are likely to
be tested in the examinations.
This is parenting
going the extra mile and I wonder really, given the work-oriented
society we live in, how much time the parents actually have and can make
available to help their children with their school work, after office hours?
Our Asian society is still too exam-oriented and too
focused on academic achievements to the extent that parents are now competing
among themselves, to arm themselves with knowledge that they think will help
them to help their children perform better in school.
If only they will focus on character development,
inculcating good values, good manners and a sense of humanity instead. Many
children today are growing up without a sense of direction, are ill-mannered,
arrogant and incapable of interacting with others, glued as they are to their
latest gadgets.
