PUBLISHED ONJune 28, 2024 12:00 AMByKimberly FooSophie Hong
Much ink has been spilled about how stressful and competitive Singapore's education system can be. Just ask any parent with school-aged children.
And despite the changes to education policies in recent years - such as the removal of mid-year examinations and the implementation of a new PSLE scoring system - most parents still feel this unspoken pressure to give their children a leg up in their studies.
A short poll conducted by AsiaOne found that almost one in two parents feel that tuition is still necessary for their children's academic success.
Interestingly, even though most of the parents we spoke to have their reservations about tuition - citing reasons such as burnout, unnecessary stress and the lack of freedom - more than half of them still sent their children for tuition classes.
Three in four parents also reported seeing an improvement in their children's grades after tuition.
"It is a love-hate thing," shared Yong, who has three children in Primary 2, Primary 5 and Secondary 2. "You can't do away with tuition as it will be unfair to children who really need the help."
Another parent, Gan, who has two children, echoed the same sentiments, noting that his children needed tuition as they had found their schoolteachers' methods "difficult to understand".
While tuition has largely been accepted as a necessity in Singapore, parents that AsiaOne spoke to expressed dissatisfaction with current practices.
Common gripes from our poll include inadequate support from tuition teachers and a lack of one-on-one attention on their child's weaker areas. Some parents were also unhappy with the limited insight into their child's progress and classroom activities.
Richard, a 50-year-old father of two, mentioned that he had to frequently ask his son's tuition teacher for progress updates. Otherwise, he would only receive WhatsApp notifications when his son failed to submit assignments on time.
On top of that, parents expressed frustration over how some of their children are reluctant to attend classes, or are unmotivated to complete their assignments - which defeats the purpose of sending them to tuition in the first place.
Cynthia, a 44-year-old mum, feels that tuition classes are "crazy expensive", yet ineffective for her daughter.
"She's already tired from school homework and co-curricular activities, but still has to complete her tuition assignments," she said, adding that she fears her daughter has "not much of a childhood left".
This begs the question: can tuition be done differently, in a way that is truly helpful - not just for children but their parents as well?
Keeping children engaged and motivated
Having a child who is reluctant to go for tuition is a struggle that Joanna, 40, knows all too well.
Initially, she reprimanded her daughter for refusing to attend Chinese tuition. After some probing however, she learnt that her daughter was struggling to keep up and felt ashamed to go. That prompted Joanna to change things up.
"Once we understood the underlying issue, it was easy to stop her lessons and look for an alternative solution," said Joanna. That was when she stumbled upon Geniebook and eventually, Geniebook CAMPUS.
For parents who recognise the necessity of tuition, but face issues with the status quo, Geniebook CAMPUS offers a smarter way of learning.
Each classroom is equipped with a smart board and each student with an iPad. This setup allows the class to tackle questions and worksheets together, while teachers can monitor the students' progress in real time. This allows the teacher to determine if additional time is needed on a particular topic or concept, creating a highly effective and engaging environment for learning to happen.
"Since starting at Geniebook CAMPUS, my child has shown a renewed enthusiasm for learning. They are more curious and eager to explore new scientific concepts" noted May, whose child is in Primary 6. She added that her child had previously viewed tuition as "a chore".
"They now look forward to their sessions. The interactive and enjoyable learning environment has changed my child's perception of tuition," she said.
Unlike traditional tuition centres, Geniebook CAMPUS also has a learning rewards system. Students are given chances to earn "Bubbles" for attempting questions and participating in class, which they can then exchange for real items at Geniebook's Bubble Store. Items they can redeem include stationery, toys and even a Nintendo Switch.
"No matter how good a curriculum is, if the student is not motivated or engaged, they'll struggle to learn," shared Xavier Yue, Vice President of Curriculum at Geniebook.
He explained how the smart board is used to present well-designed slides and relevant multimedia resources, making learning richer and more appealing. Additionally, the tuition centre also observed that students are generally enthusiastic to participate and earn Bubbles in class.
For parent Yin Myo Zaw, whose child is sitting for his PSLE examinations this year, this approach has been rather effective.
"He's quite interested in the Bubble Store, which makes him enthusiastic about attending Geniebook CAMPUS classes and doing practice papers at home," she shared. "He's now more confident in Maths, and improved from AL 3 to 2 within a term."
Supporting parents outside of the classroom
For many parents that AsiaOne polled, the only way they can tell if tuition has been effective is if they see an improvement in their children's grades the next semester, after the release of examination results.
"Parents typically do not have the benefit of insight into their children's performance in more traditional tuition settings but here at Geniebook CAMPUS, we offer a monthly progress report with actionable insights and feedback to keep parents updated, and their children's learning on track," Xavier shared.
Besides tracking the child's current skill level and progress, the monthly report also includes detailed observations from the child's teacher at Geniebook CAMPUS, right down to their behaviour and participation in class.
"This makes it so easy for parents to track their child's progress," said Novem Neo, 44, who has a Primary 6 child enrolled in Geniebook CAMPUS. "Now, I can better help my daughter on the topics that she's weak in."
May noted the same, and shared that the regular updates and feedback have been "incredibly helpful".
"I've been able to see exactly where my child excels and where they might need a bit more support. This insight has allowed me to be more engaged and proactive in their learning journey," she added.
Beyond that, Geniebook CAMPUS also takes the stresses of academic rigour off parents with GenieAsk - an online chat platform where students can ask their tuition teachers at Geniebook CAMPUS for help with both tuition assignments and school homework.
This feature is accessible to students seven days a week, and they can expect their Geniebook CAMPUS teachers to get back within one working day.
Parent Yin Myo Zaw found this after-school support to be a valuable complement to the Maths tuition her child receives at Geniebook CAMPUS.
"When he has difficulties with Maths questions, his teacher can assist online or explain it in more detail on campus," she said.
"I made the right choice for my son - I feel safe for his PSLE Maths examination," she added.
Make learning engaging and fulfilling
Although it is impossible for parents to completely take away the stress of school, they can provide their children with an engaging and fulfilling environment to motivate learning.
By combining the benefits of physical tuition classes with personalised analytics in a tech-enabled classroom, Geniebook CAMPUS offers parents a modern solution to address their children's learning needs.
Geniebook CAMPUS opened its first location in United Square last November, and is rapidly expanding with three outlets islandwide, with plans to open up at more locations by the end of the year.
To sign up for a trial class at your nearest Geniebook CAMPUS, click here.
Geniebook CAMPUS locations
- United Square, #B1-26/27, 101 Thomson Road, S307591
- 31 Holland Close, #01-225, S270031
- Century Square, #04-17/18, 2 Tampines Central 5, S529509
- 177A Thomson Road Goldhill Centre, S307625
This article is brought to you in partnership with Geniebook CAMPUS.
sophie.hong@asiaone.com