Tuition industry in Singapore has grown and expanded in many ways: especially during this pandemic. Digitalised learning has become the new norm and everyone has got to get used to it.
The prime reason why one-to-one private tuition has gained attention is because it has a lot to offer for students. It’s not just a great learning opportunity for students, but also a great way of unlearning and modifying some teaching techniques.
When analysing the statistics of tuition in Singapore, it is known that Singapore households spend about S$1.4 billion on tuition, based on the Household Expenditure Survey conducted by the Department of Statistics.
The most common questions that students ask when thinking of selecting a tutor is,
- Does this tutor have a proven track record?
- Does the tutor have the expertise in the subject that he/she teaches?
- Has my appreciation of the subject increased over time?
- Do I feel uninhibited to ask my questions and clear my doubts?
- Do I have the confidence to tackle my examination and produce good results?
Students and parents make a careful analysis when selecting their tutors as the investment has to be worth it. Some families would be able to afford a larger amount while some others will want to stick to a budget. Expenditure figures from the Household Expenditure Survey indicate that higher-income families are spending more on tuition, with the top 20 percent of households by income spending nearly four times as much on tuition as those in the bottom 20 per cent.
Recently an article in Quartz titled as “Behind the world’s best students is a soul-crushing, billion-dollar private education industry”, had shown some interesting facts and statistics about Singapore’s education system and tuition industry.
Singapore has topped the global Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings in math, science, and reading. It has surpassed countries like Australia, France, and the UK in terms of its achievements.
ROLE OF PRIVATE TUITION
The role of private tuition in the overall success of students in the tiny city-state is something that gains many countries’ attention. With some research and data gathering, it became evident that
- 80% of primary school age students attend private tuition
- 40% of pre-schoolers attend private tuition
- Pre-schoolers, on average, attend two hours of private tuition per week
- Primary school children attend approximately least three hours per week
Private tuition has now taken upon a huge responsibility in teaching students and enabling them to achieve success. It has various roles in honing students’ skills and study techniques. Some of this includes,
CUSTOMISED TEACHING
This personalised teaching approach that private tuition offers would enable students to excel at a rapid rate.
There is no such thing as “one size fits all” as each student is unique in his or her own way of learning. Some students may require more time to process information while some students can absorb content like a sponge. Some students require consistent practice while others just need a quick revision before the exam.
It’s perfectly alright to have these differences and students need to accept this. The lack of acceptance of this fact leads to discouragement and self-doubt. Tutors and students can discuss together about the learning gaps and the possible way to patch them up.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
In person communication is of utmost importance as it keeps things engaging. One of the few disadvantages of online classes according to students and tutors is the lack of physical presence. At this moment of making this transition, this is difficult to adapt to.
Studies have shown that in the workforce,
- 90% of companies have seen positive impacts from remote working such as greater engagement and happiness
- However, 72% also reported some downsides such as being less productive, difficulties in maintaining work-life balance and assessing accountability.
- 28% of employees believe that poor communication is the reason for lack of punctuality in delivering work.
- 86% of corporate executives, educators, and employees cite ineffective communication as the reason for bad outcomes.
Yes, all this is with regards to the struggle of workplace. But this is highly applicable for students as well. Students would not perform well should they be uncomfortable in communicating with their private tutors.
TUTORS’ SALARY
There is much curiosity surrounding this topic. It has especially gained some heat when tuition has become more famous. Let’s take a look at some statistics with regards to tutors’ salary:
Salary Range
Tutor salaries in Singapore range from 3,070 SGD per month, all the way up to 10,600 SGD per month. These are the minimum and maximum salary respectively.
Median Salary
The median salary is approximately 7,210 SGD per month. This goes to show that about that half of people working as tutors are earning less than 7,210 SGD. Tutors would do their best to step up their game to earn more than the median range salary.
Percentiles
According to salary distribution analysis, 25% of tutors are earning less than 4,630 SGD while 75% of them are earning more than that. Moreover, 75% of tutors are earning less than 9,630 SGD while the others are earning more than that. Salary also varies according to level of experience.
The greater the experience that tutors have; it means that they have seen a wide variety of students. They have also possibly implemented various teaching methods for different students. They would have figure out which teaching strategy would suit which kind of students as well.
BEST TUITION AGENCY IN SINGAPORE
It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that Singapore is one of the top-notch education hubs in the world. The biggest backbone for education is the top tuition agencies in Singapore. Tuition agency like that of ChampionTutor, is one of the most trusted tuition agencies on the island. It has provided Singaporeans with highly committed home tutor services for over a decade.
Reviews like, “Champion Tutor is a great place to find a comprehensive list of qualified tutors. Any requirements you have for the betterment of your children’s studies can be achieved through Champion Tutor. Highly recommended for all!” is a testament to the excellence it offers.
Other well-known tuition agencies include,
- FamilyTutor
- Tutor Chen
- Learnable
- The Learning Lab
- EduZ Tuition
And many more.
TUITION FEES
Singapore ranked 7th in INSEAD Global Innovation Index 2015 and 2nd in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2015-2016. It has consistently been an attractive place for higher studies for students. The prime reason for this is because of the strength of the education system, as well as the top-notch tutors who guide students.
There is indeed already a financial strain for families as they send off their children to school. When students move on to tertiary education the strain becomes even more suffocating and that is why parents choose to manage their expenses such that the save up for the rainy day. As case in point, here is the data of the highest university fees being paid by students from different countries.
Singapore does come in the top few countries that has a huge amount to pay for tertiary education. However, it is important to note that there are various financial assistance scheme and tuition fees is actually made affordable knowing that education is not cheap in Singapore.
WHAT DO SINGAPOREANS THINK ABOUT TUITION?
80% of Singaporeans think that tuition and enrichment programmes help children to do better in their education. This widely accepted fact is the key reason for the tuition industry to boom over the past few years.
Moreover, statistics also show that almost two thirds (67%) of Singaporeans have enrolled their children in tuition at some point in time (it may be primary school or secondary school, etc.). 23% of Singaporeans have the future plan of introducing tuition classes to their children and only a mere 9% of Singaporeans are not so fond of this idea.
There is clear evidence to show that tuition is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon among parents. As long as a tuition centre has 10 or more students, it must be registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) which will check the academic qualifications of the tutors. There are some 850 MOE-registered tuition centres. Parents need not feel doubtful about which tuition would be the best option. Every tuition centre has its own vision, mission and tactics to bring out the best in students!