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Grassroots with passion
Mr Tay Soo Kiang, who has two daughters aged nine and 14, has enrolled his children at tuition centres for all four major subjects – English, Chinese, Math and Science. With the exception of English, tuition for the other subjects continues to be held once a week throughout the holidays. While it seems as though his children have their work cut out for them, Mr Tay stresses that these enrichment classes do not interfere with family time. “If there is a need for them to miss lessons due to vacation, I will make the necessary arrangements,” he added. Clearly both Mrs Wee and Mr Tay believe that tuition is essential for the child’s development, as long as careful consideration is given to determine how much of it is adequate for each individual child. So how much is adequate? Mr Tan noted that there are overzealous parents who tend to dictate what their child does during the holidays, and end up placing too much focus on what they want and what they think is best for their child. “This may not be a bad thing all the time, but it often means that in many cases, the child can be unfocused or unwilling to study, yet is inundated with tuition,” he said. “In such cases, the child may develop depression or resentment towards their parents, and the tuition itself may be very ineffective.” Necessary evil Some educators themselves recognise the need for tuition as a form of supplementing what is taught in school, but they too are aware of the need for holidays as a period to de-stress.
“I don't have anything against children having tuition during the holidays, but I just hope that it's not too often. The holiday is a time for the child to give their mind a rest and be kids for a bit,” said a secondary school teacher, who chose to remain anonymous. “That doesn't mean they can play all the way, so having tuition once a week for an hour or two will help keep the child's mind fresh while not overstraining it.” Perhaps as a way of steering students away from studies during the break, schools have lined up camps, excursions and overseas trips during the holidays. With the bulk of the school year centred on academics, this is an appropriate time for children to build up their non- academic interests. “I would certainly let my kids go for suitable alternative activities that allow them to have a more holistic experience in life,” said Mr Tay. While there is no consensus over how often students should be subjected to tuition during the break, the general idea is that less is more and that every child is different. “I've heard of students who have tuition four times a week during the holidays. This is counter-intuitive as it puts the child under much more academic strain,” said the unnamed teacher. Ultimately, better communication between parents and their children is key to determining the right amount of tuition hours for each child, according to his pace and need. In the grand scheme of things, giving the child some freedom during the holidays can surprisingly be a form of providing the best for them.
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