OUR society has evolved such that, like it or not, tuition seems here to stay.
And so, yes, needy students should get all the help they can to keep up ("Needy students get more private tuition help"; Monday, "Free tuition good, but schools still main resource" by Miss Eden Chua; Tuesday and "Extra classes strain schools' resources" by Mr Lee Kek Chin; Forum Online, yesterday).
However, schools have been helping not just the needy students - and therein lies the problem.
These extra lessons are being conducted for big groups that include students who already have private tuition. As a result, teachers are spread too thin and students do not get adequate individual attention. Moreover, these remedial classes are conducted after the school day ends, when both teachers and students are already tired.
On top of this, our hot and humid weather, coupled with a lack of air-conditioned classrooms in most schools, simply does not make such lessons something to look forward to.
Many students attend extra lessons in school as they are compulsory, but because they do not experience the full benefit, they continue with their private tuition as well.
This is a waste of resources and, worse, it results in a lose-lose situation. Students who really need the extra help are not getting it, while everybody is overburdened and exhausted, with dire consequences on mental well-being, creativity, physical health and social relationships in the long run.
For remedial lessons to be effective, teachers should pick out only those who need help but are unable to afford or do not want to have private tuition.
Such lessons should be optional for those who have help outside of school. In this way, teachers can afford to give more individual and targeted help to those in real need, while everyone has an easier time.
Lee Pui Fun (Madam)
And so, yes, needy students should get all the help they can to keep up ("Needy students get more private tuition help"; Monday, "Free tuition good, but schools still main resource" by Miss Eden Chua; Tuesday and "Extra classes strain schools' resources" by Mr Lee Kek Chin; Forum Online, yesterday).
However, schools have been helping not just the needy students - and therein lies the problem.
These extra lessons are being conducted for big groups that include students who already have private tuition. As a result, teachers are spread too thin and students do not get adequate individual attention. Moreover, these remedial classes are conducted after the school day ends, when both teachers and students are already tired.
On top of this, our hot and humid weather, coupled with a lack of air-conditioned classrooms in most schools, simply does not make such lessons something to look forward to.
Many students attend extra lessons in school as they are compulsory, but because they do not experience the full benefit, they continue with their private tuition as well.
This is a waste of resources and, worse, it results in a lose-lose situation. Students who really need the extra help are not getting it, while everybody is overburdened and exhausted, with dire consequences on mental well-being, creativity, physical health and social relationships in the long run.
For remedial lessons to be effective, teachers should pick out only those who need help but are unable to afford or do not want to have private tuition.
Such lessons should be optional for those who have help outside of school. In this way, teachers can afford to give more individual and targeted help to those in real need, while everyone has an easier time.
Lee Pui Fun (Madam)
