Private Tuition in Singapore
Prepared for
Mr. Azman Bin Abu Said
Lecturer / Tutor
COR160 Effective Communication Strategies
(TMA01)
Prepared By
Ngian Choon Boon P1400380
Graduate Diploma in Resort Facilities Services and Management
20 February 2014
Private Tuition in Singapore
Private tuition is becoming an area of concern for Singaporeans. The current trend of rising cost and demand for private tuition caused Singaporeans to be weary the present obsession of private tuition reforming the Singapore 's education culture and system (M.Nirmala, 2013).
The underlying causes leading to the vogue of private tuition encompasses consumerism and meritocracy. Commodification of everyday life has nurtured consumers to rely on the consumer 's market for their desires, most of the time exposed solely to the benefits and oblivious to the negative effects of the product; Accruing the convention of heedless consumption as long as the consumers have the purchasing power, in this case fueling demand for private tuition. (Jin, S., n.d.).
Next is the practice of meritocracy. The ideal of meritocracy is cultivated by the differential in abilities of students. Concept of studying thus shifts from learning to a competition between students for better grades. Guided by this mentality, parents are inclined to provide a form of leverage to their children by sending them for private tuition. Even if they do not concur with this direction, they would be compelled to follow in fear that they might render their children in disfavor when majority of the parents do so (Soh, Y. D., 2013).
Blackbox Research Pte Ltd (2012) provided the following on the consensus of Singaporeans on private tuition:
• 80% of Singaporeans believe that tuition is beneficial to children’s education, especially average students
• For Singaporeans with kids currently enrolled in tuition, 1 in 2 spend more than $500 a month per child
• Almost 1
Mr. Azman Bin Abu Said
Lecturer / Tutor
COR160 Effective Communication Strategies
(TMA01)
Prepared By
Ngian Choon Boon P1400380
Graduate Diploma in Resort Facilities Services and Management
20 February 2014
Private Tuition in Singapore
Private tuition is becoming an area of concern for Singaporeans. The current trend of rising cost and demand for private tuition caused Singaporeans to be weary the present obsession of private tuition reforming the Singapore 's education culture and system (M.Nirmala, 2013).
The underlying causes leading to the vogue of private tuition encompasses consumerism and meritocracy. Commodification of everyday life has nurtured consumers to rely on the consumer 's market for their desires, most of the time exposed solely to the benefits and oblivious to the negative effects of the product; Accruing the convention of heedless consumption as long as the consumers have the purchasing power, in this case fueling demand for private tuition. (Jin, S., n.d.).
Next is the practice of meritocracy. The ideal of meritocracy is cultivated by the differential in abilities of students. Concept of studying thus shifts from learning to a competition between students for better grades. Guided by this mentality, parents are inclined to provide a form of leverage to their children by sending them for private tuition. Even if they do not concur with this direction, they would be compelled to follow in fear that they might render their children in disfavor when majority of the parents do so (Soh, Y. D., 2013).
Blackbox Research Pte Ltd (2012) provided the following on the consensus of Singaporeans on private tuition:
• 80% of Singaporeans believe that tuition is beneficial to children’s education, especially average students
• For Singaporeans with kids currently enrolled in tuition, 1 in 2 spend more than $500 a month per child
• Almost 1
References: Soh, Y. D.(2013, Jan 29). Examining Meritocracy & Elitism in Singapore. From https://www.facebook.com/notes/soh-yi-da/examining-meritocracy-elitism-in- singapore/10151258616188876 Blackbox Research Pte Ltd (2012) Retrieved Feb 16, 2012, From http://www.blackbox.com.sg/wp/wp- content/uploads/2012/09/Blackbox-You-Know-Anot-Whitepaper-Private-Tuition.pdf M. Nirmala(2013, Oct 1). Tuition can worsen existing inequality. The Straits Times, pp. A20. Chia, S. & Chew, M.(2012, 14 Aug). Regulating private tuition sector is‘problematic’. The Straits Times, pp.B1. Palatino, M.(2013, Oct 22). Singapore’s ‘Tuition Industrial Complex’. The Diplomat. From http://thediplomat.com/asean-beat/2013/10/22/singapores-tuition-industrial- complex/ Sistek, H.(2013, Dec 8). South Korean students wracked with stress. Al Jazeera. From http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/south-korean-students-wracked-with-stress-201312884628494144.html Hetherington, J.(2012, Aug 31). There is madness in Singapore 's method. TES magazine. From http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6287791 Lim, R.(2012, May 22). Singapore wants creativity not cramming.BBC News. From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17891211 Giroux, H.(2000). Stealing Innocence: Youth, Corporate Power, and the Politics of Culture. New York: Palgrave.