Instead of
committing to regular tuition sessions throughout the year, some
students who need academic help are choosing to attend such classes
on an "ad-hoc" basis.
Cedar Girls'
Secondary School student Natalie Lim, 16, who is in Secondary 4,
for instance, does not go for weekly tuition sessions.
Instead, she
drops in on a chemistry class at Bright Culture Tuition Centre as
and when she needs to clarify her doubts on certain topics.
Besides
saving time and money on tuition, Natalie, who a year ago averaged
Ds for chemistry, now scores As for the subject. She pays $80 per
class, similar to what regular students fork out.
"I have many
other commit-ments that clash with regular tuition time-slots, so
it seems more practical to plan my tuition around them," said
Natalie, who is moving on to Victoria Junior College next year
under the Integrated Programme.
TARGETED HELP
Many students want
help with specific, weak chapters but do not wish to sit through
topics which they are proficient at.
TUTOR SHAUN LIM, conducting a
tuition class at Quintessential Education Centre
Ad-hoc
tuition arrangements are gaining popularity, especially among
students who require help only in specific topics that are
difficult to grasp, according to tutors.
Tutors cite
the students' busy schedules during school terms, with
co-curricular activities and increasing demands in schoolwork, as a
reason for the growing interest.
Most of these
students would turn up just before the year-end exams to check
if their revision is on the right track.
More than 20
tuition centres and private tutors have started offering these
ad-hoc arrangements in recent years.
Quintessential Education Centre introduced such arrangements two
years ago and noticed that the number of students on it has doubled
from the previous year. Some 40 out of 200 students at the centre,
which offers tuition in O-level, A-level and International
Baccalaureate (IB) subjects such as economics and chemistry, are on
the ad-hoc arrangement. Last year, there were only 15 such
students.
All students
pay similar fees of $85 to $100 per lesson.
"Many
students want help with specific, weak chapters but do not wish to
sit through topics which they are proficient at," said tutor Shaun
Lim, 32, adding that some chose such arrangements because of
financial constraints.
General Paper
tutor Irwin See, 36, has been offering ad-hoc tuition for the past
six years, and has taken in 10 students on the arrangement this
year, up from seven last year.
These
students join in on regular classes once or twice a month.
"Students are getting busier, and may not have the time to commit
to a full year of tuition," said Mr See, who has about 130 regular
students. They pay $75 per session, compared to $90 per session for
students who attend classes on an ad-hoc basis.
Primary
school maths tutor Raihan Sudirman, 33, who provides ad-hoc home
tuition, said certain pupils may need help only in some topics,
such as fractions and ratios. He added that the arrangements give
parents flexibility in planning their children's time.
However, some
tutors, such as economics tutor Anthony Fok, 32, have chosen not to
provide such services, insisting it is disruptive to students who
attend regular classes.
He said that
for subjects such as economics, it is difficult to have ad-hoc
arrangements as the topics are usually linked. "Students must be
able to relate the different topics in order to score," he
added.
Education
experts noted that ad-hoc tuition would reduce the financial strain
on parents who have more than one child requiring tuition, or whose
children need extra coaching in many subjects.
Dr Timothy
Chan, director of SIM Global Education's academic division, said:
"It will take up less time on the child's already-packed schedule,
and allow him time to pursue interests such as the arts or
sports."
However, Dr
Chan also noted that not everyone will benefit from tuition, and
that it may even lead to counterproductive outcomes, such as stress
or loss of motivation.