Tuition centres have become a booming industry, raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars. On the average, parents fork out about $100 to $200 ( 4,000 to 8,000) for each child per month. Today, more and more teachers are giving tuition as it has become a major money-spinner for them. What has triggered this phenomenon? Are schoolteachers shirking their duties or are parents just afraid that their children will be left behind in the paper chase?
The rationale in sending students for tuition is to help them better understands what has been taught in school. Students who are slow in grasping what is taught in schools can attend tuition classes to catch up and improve their performance.
Moreover, in schools, teachers have a limited time to teach students. There are only about five to six lessons a week for most subjects, including English, Mathematics and science. The time allotted is clearly insufficient for weak students to understand a particular subject. At the same time, teachers have less teaching time due to increasing paperwork and other duties. Teachers are forced to rush through the syllabus because of time constraints, thus leaving students in the lurch.
Classes in school are too big and teachers do not have enough time to give personal attention to teach and every student. On the other hand, tuition classes have a smaller number of students, making personal attention possible. Thriving on the education system’s weaknesses, tuition centers have gained popularity among both students and parents.
Parents, too, prefer to send their children for tuition. Parents who want their children to excel in their studies are willing to spend large amounts of money on tuition fees. Nowadays, due to work commitments, parents are away from home for the greater part of the day. Parents would prefer to send their children for tuition just to keep their offspring from getting involved in undesirable activities or from idling their time away. At the same time, parents who are not highly educated prefer to send their children for tuition.
For students who are unable to get personal attention in school and for those who have difficulty assimilating what is taught in schools, tuition is definitely a must, as the gain is more than the cost. Teachers should be allowed to give tuition to improve students’ performances.
Vocabulary
rationale reason
leaving students in the lurch to fail to help when they are relying on you to do so
assimilating fully understanding