When discussing about the Malaysian education scene, topics surrounding tuition inevitably come up.
For those unfamiliar with the term, tuition refers to paid extracurricular lessons that school-going children typically get outside of normal hours.
They are not sanctioned or mandated by the traditional school system nor are they closely monitored by the Ministry of Education.
However, one thing they do have in common is that they all focus on academic subjects taught in public school.
Bahasa Malaysia, Science, Maths, English and in some cases even advanced subjects like the Pure Sciences and Additional Maths.
The Reality of Tuition
As far as this practice goes, tuition is quite abnormally common in Malaysia.
More so than you would see in places like the United States where the word ‘tuition’ goes by entirely different terms. For example, ‘tuition’ is a lingo for ‘money’ or more specifically, education fee, usually for college.
Often seen as a cultural difference, tutors in the Western world are only ever common among wealthy families whose children are home-schooled.
The term ‘summer school’ can also be regarded as a form of tuition, where students catch up on their studies during school holidays so they don’t fall behind.
In Malaysia, and in many Asian countries, tuition is usually conducted in tuition centres with other children their age.
A tutor helps them with homework or cram for exams usually using alternative and special learning methods and formulas not taught in common public schools (hence their popularity).
These are no different from normal lessons expect maybe smaller with usually no more than 8 to 10 in a single ‘session’.
This way, each student also gets more attention than they normally would in a class of 30.
Wealthier families usually look for private tutors where their kids get special treatment and one-on-one attention.
Classes usually take place during the weekend or in the late evenings after school.
Some rare cases do happen where public schools or teachers organise weekend or after-school tuition classes. These are often free of charge.
Whatever the kind of tuition you have available in your area, all of them come with their own pros and cons.
Pros of Tuition for Your Kids
Individualised Attention
One of the more obvious benefits of tuition for your kids is that they’ll receive personalised attention from a trained educator.
Normal public school teachers may not always have the time or resources to address each student’s specific needs.
With a tutor, your child gets the privilege of a tutor’s focused instruction. And even a learning module tailored to their strengths and weaknesses.
This individualised treatment can help greatly improve your child’s overall academic performance. Especially if they struggle with learning disorders.
Supplemental Learning
Tuition centres often provide shortcuts and tricks that make learning easier, quicker and more fun.
These, as mentioned earlier, can come in the form of formulas, mnemonics, and other mental tools to help your child answer exam questions without difficulty.
They may also have special insider information on what comes out on tests.
Improved Academic Scores
Tuition may help improve a student’s academic results.
But remember, it’s not psychologically or emotionally healthy to put impossible standards on a child. Even if they’re adolescents.
However, regardless of where you send your child for tuition, you can expect at least some improvement in their test scores. Just remember that tuition is not a cure-all or a miracle.
Cons of Tuition for Your Kids
Cost
Depending on where you send your kids, tuition fees can cost between a few hundred ringgits to several thousand.
Tuition fees or private tutoring can be really expensive. Especially depending on how long and how many tuition sessions they need.
This extra financial burden can be too much for some families.
So, at the end of the day, they may only be able to hire a small-time, less experienced tutor than one with a reputable portfolio.
Added Stress
If your child already has their schedule full, then tuition may do more harm than good.
In these cases, either lighten the load on their itinerary or hold off on tuition for now.
But if they’re grades are suffering, then cut out any extracurricular activities that may actually be the culprit.
Tuition becomes more necessary the more subjects your child is failing or doing poorly in. Even then it’s important to pay for one subject or two.
Dependency and Overreliance
While rare, your child may become dependent on their tutor for help. More so than their school teacher.
While tutors and tuition centres are great for helping keep your child’s motivation levels up, it also means that they may not be able to do their own revision.
Students who go relatively unnoticed at school, or whose teachers are neglectful, tend to enjoy the one-on-one attention. Not only for their studies but self-esteem.
So, encourage independence every now and then. Even when they’re doing well on their exams.
Does Your Child Really Need Tuition?
While relatively common in Malaysian culture, and more so in urban areas, the popularity of tuition centres does reflect on one glaring flaw in our education system: Parents often resort to them because they believe that teachers are doing a poor job at teaching their kids.
Another controversy is that tuition enforces the exam-oriented, ‘memorise and regurgitate’ pattern of the Malaysian education system. Children study and revise all for the sake of passing exams, not necessarily because they value what they learn.
After all, how many of us can recall what we learned in school unless it held a deep significance in our personal and professional lives?
You can probably still lend them a hand yourself while they’re young.
So, don’t waste money sending them off to tuition while they’re in primary school, or worse, pre-school.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide whether your child truly needs tuition.
But do remember to take their mental and physical health into consideration as well.
After all, grades are important but not everything in life. Good luck, my fellow parents!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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