KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Hi, DD going Sec 1 2014. I was hoping no tuition needed since she is more matured and now understands need to be consistent. My friends think I am wishful thinking regardless if kid is hardworking cos sec is v tough. Appreciate parents with kids in sec 1&2 givw feedback and est cost of tuition please. TIA

relax mum wrote:Hi, DD going Sec 1 2014. I was hoping no tuition needed since she is more matured and now understands need to be consistent. My friends think I am wishful thinking regardless if kid is hardworking cos sec is v tough. Appreciate parents with kids in sec 1&2 givw feedback and est cost of tuition please. TIA

Hi there,

from what I think, it depends a lot on the child's learning attitude. Is she those who can study on her own? is she self-motivated type who want to do better? I believed if a student has good learning attitude, she can still manage without tuition in lower sec. For some students, parents want them to go for tuition becos that is a way to prevent them from being slacked. at least there is someone who can guide and make sure they do some work consistently.

Share with you abt this student of mine. After his PSLE, he stop his lesson with me. He told his parents he can manage on his own and on condition that when he can't manage, he will have to resume lesson. He went on to score high in the subject and he is going to yr 4 next yr. As a tutor, I am happy for him for he can do well enough to stop depending on me : )

Thus, maybe you can have a talk with your kid to see what she thinks. If she wants to study on her own, let her try out for a period of time to see if she is doing fine. by then, she will be more willing to go for tuition shld her result not satisfactory. (the feeling will be much different if you "force" her to go tuition straight away)

Hope it helps.

I am sure there are good no. of students in sec school who do not have tuition and manage on their own. My daughter has completed sec 2 and does not have tuition. She keeps track of her own work and does her own revision with hardly any help from me. She knows that she can consult us when she needs to, but she hardly asks us much, maybe once in several weeks. Initially, what she needed most was a listening ear and suggestions as to how to organise her time and be more efficient. I think you should let your daughter try on her own for a while, but keep an eye on how she is coping and step in to help her with scheduling or imposing self-discipline if she needs it. If she has been used to tuition all this while, she may need some guidance as to how to keep up with her work by herself. After a while, you will be able to see if she can manage by herself.

Thanks both! I am on the same page. I prefer my kids to be independent and self motivated. She had tuition in chinese since young, science and maths at P6 only. She is quite self motivated but needs help with time management. We have decided to do a post term 1 review about tuition. We agree that $ saved on tuition will go to short getaways and saving for college.

I've had tuition since I was in P2 (for chinese). Started getting math/science tuition in P4 and had it until P6. Sec 1-3 continued with math and chinese tuition. Sec 4 only had math tuition. Continuing with same math tuition in JC now

Oh, wow. The tuition centreust be good. Can you share name of tuition centre and teacher just in case I need later? Can pm me please. Tia

Well, I tried to let my kid be independent for 6months from sec 1 for his math...thinking since he gotten A during PSLE, he could do it on his own. His SA1 plunged to 55 n CA2 failed. Panic!! Finding tutors/centres like crazy. Don't know which is good, lucky gotta good recommendation from some parents in this forum n managed to pull up his grade.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am inclined to taje a little nof that risk and will mitigate by collecting good tuition recommendations for now. Pls pm me the recommendations you got if you don't mind. TIA!

i wanted to let go of tuition when son started sec 1...but the number of subjects increased to 7/8 and difficulty level is tougher...no more math models. for his humanities like literature, history and geography, he is on his own because they require him to read intensively and ask teachers for help. at sec level, teachers are willing to help if students approach them. there are also supplementary lessons after school.

Is it normal to score low for maths and hcl in sec one with and without tuition ?
Dd did not have tuition since p1 till now and her maths and hcl marks has slipped down a little in sec one. Is it necessary to have tuition