Tuition in Singapore has always been a hot topic. An article on AsiaOne reports a statistic that seems shocking at first: our tuition industry alone is worth more than 1 billion Singapore dollars. However, the statistic becomes less shocking when we consider the fact that tuition is viewed as a necessity in Singapore, and for good reason too.
With increasingly difficult examinations, students often find themselves swamped without tuition. Tuition is now, more than ever, a necessity. Therefore, as parents, it is important that we know how to find the right tuition center to aid our children’s learning. This article will give you 7 things to look out for when choosing a tuition center. We hope you’ll enjoy it!
1. Class Size
Why is class size important? With a smaller class, students will find it easier to get their questions answered, and teachers will be able to cater to each student’s individual needs more easily. In other words, a smaller class size means that your child will receive more individual attention, and hence experience a more conducive learning environment. In large classrooms, a lack of attention causes frustration for both sides.
For teachers, it is in the form of managing such a large group, and for students, it is in the form of getting their individual doubts cleared. A small class size mitigates these two issues and ensures that your child will experience more effective tuition!
2. Tutor’s Background
Next up, we will want to look at the tutor’s background. For the most part, you’ll find that teachers and ex-teachers will be the most effective tutors, given their professional training in teaching. An ex-teacher has the industry experience and ‘feel’ those other tutors may lack. Furthermore, experienced tutors will be more able to impart knowledge quickly and efficiently. And what’s more, we all want to predict examination questions correctly.
Well, an ex-teacher, being more intimate with the education industry, will be able to better predict and spot questions! All in all, the tutor’s background is a very important point to consider when choosing a tuition center.
In fact, many of our tutors here at Bright Culture are former or even current MOE teachers! That means that they all know the latest O and A Level Chemistry exam hacks and are super equipped to help your child excel.
3. Testimonials
A tuition center may provide you with information that looks good on paper, and that’s great. However, what we’re really interested in is whether they can actually deliver! This is where testimonials come into play. What better way to learn of a center’s effectiveness than to read what other parents/students have to say about it? In this way, we learn about the tuition center’s perks. These are specific attributes that make parents/students satisfied with the service. A good resume is great in theory, but knowing that the center is able to perform in practice is even better!
Here are some examples of real, authentic testimonials from satisfied parents!
Check out more testimonials for Bright Culture here.
4. Tutor’s Ability to Connect with Students
This is not something that’s easy to spot at first glance! (That’s also why testimonials are important! They show the relationship between tutors and students.) A truly good tutor doesn’t simply teach, he/she also connects with his students! He motivates them and cheers them on. There is no limit to what a student can achieve if he has someone rooting for them and pushing them on them along the way! A good ability to connect builds trust and confidence, helping students and teachers to work in tandem as an effective team. Indeed, the benefits of having a tutor that can truly touch the hearts of students are immense.
5. Type of Notes
In choosing a tuition center, it’s also good to know what type of notes will be issued. Are they made personally by the tutors? Are they specific to that particular tuition center? In general, notes that are self-made tend to be of a higher quality. Not only that but since they are likely to only be circulated within the tuition center itself, they will give your child an extra edge! After all, he/she will have notes that other students don’t!
6. Teaching Style
Our children have 3 main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic. In learning what your child’s learning style is, you will be more able to pick the tuition center that fits your child’s needs best. For instance, if your child is a kinesthetic learner, he may prefer more hands-on activities.
Also Read —>> O level chemistry tuition
If your child is a visual learner, he may prefer visual tools such as infographics, animations, videos, etc. And if your child is an auditory learner, he will benefit greatly from a tutor that can verbalize and explain concepts clearly! A great tuition center usually has all these covered, so that each and every child will benefit no matter what the learning style! Also, the visual learning style is the most common one, so it should be your first focus!
(P.S. Recently, a new learning style has been added to the model: the read/write learning style. But since the bulk of our Singaporean education system consists of reading questions and then writing out the answers, I’m certain all tuition centers will have this covered!)
7. Your Child’s Needs + How the Tuition Centre Addresses Those Needs
Finally, we come to perhaps the most important point: knowing your child’s specific needs. A tuition center may be great, but if it doesn’t fit your child’s needs, then it is pointless! To truly pick the right center, we need to know the areas where our kids will need specific help in. A good tuition center will have tutors that understand how to tackle your child’s specific problems and create a custom teaching experience that will suit your child best. The ability to pinpoint the exact point of contention and address it accordingly. This is one of those traits that truly separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to tuition!
Congratulations! You are now well-versed in the art of choosing tuition centers!
In this day and age, tuition is more of a necessity than ever before. So give yourself a pat on the back for educating yourself on this important topic! We hope that this guide will give you the skills you need to pick a tuition center that will fulfill your and your children’s dreams!
Bright Culture teaches O & A Levels tuition for Chemistry, Physics, and Maths.
Visit Bright Culture if you are looking for the best tuition center in Singapore!
