According to the Department of Statistics in Singapore, households spent S$1.4 billion in tuition between October 2017 to September 2018. Also, by 2019, the number of tuition and enrichment centres increased from 700 in 2012 to 950. This is a clear indication that most parents have embraced the norm for their children to get help in different tuition subjects.
On average, 1.35 million households spent S$88.40 per month on tuition between 2017 and 2018, while in 2012/2013, 1.2 million households had spent S$79.90 per month. Therefore, as days go by, many students in Singapore continue to attend different tuition centres.
Why is the tuition industry blossoming so quickly?
First, there is an increase in the average real incomes of households. Due to higher income rates, parents find some pennies to pay for their children to get sessions of different tuition subjects.
Second, parents want to see their children competing with others at school. This is because if other parents enroll their kids for tuition, it would be wise to sign up theirs to keep them on track. As a result, the children keep competing each semester in the different tuition subjects.
Which are the most common subjects that students get tutored in?
1. Math
According to the Straits Times, most students go for extra sessions after school to improve on their math. Right from pre-school to secondary school, most students attend tuition centres in Singapore to sharpen their mathematics game. Therefore, math is one of the most common tuition subjects and has a 73.5% share among households with primary-going children.
At secondary school, 65.7% attended math tuition in Singapore to get assistance in elementary mathematics. Also, at the same level, 25.9% of students seek help in additional mathematics.
Students seek the help of a math tutor because of several reasons. First, math is a crucial part of subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology. These subjects carry a big part of the equations and calculations that each student should master. Therefore, a student must have sessions for this tuition subject.
Second, math is essential for further studies. According to Associate Professor Jason Tan, an education policy expert at the National Institute of Education, subjects like math has the highest tuition demand because they are necessary for advancement in education systems.
Finally, math is a compulsory subject right from pre-school to secondary school. Therefore, it is necessary to do your best from the beginning to have a strong foundation. This makes most children in Singapore to have sessions after school for this tuition subject to master it at the fingertips.
2. English
English also falls in the category of the most common tuition subjects. According to the Straits Times, it takes a share of 70.5% for pre-schooling going kids who attend English tuition. For primary-going children, English tuition sessions across Singapore have a share of 72.4%. When it comes to secondary school students, it takes 49.1%.
The statistics clearly show that most students in Singapore have joined different tuition centres and private tuition to have their English sharpened. This is because of the importance of English in one’s life.
To start with, English is the most used language across the world. Many countries have declared English as their national language. Therefore, English prepares you to be a global person. You can communicate with people from different nations.
Besides, if you are well conversant with English, you can get employed in any part of the world. Therefore, parents cannot hesitate to allow their children to be competent in this tuition subject. This is because it opens many doors for their future.
Also, English is the most-used language in schools to teach. Teachers and tutors use the English language to teach children different subjects. Therefore, if you are good at English, you won’t have challenges in getting what the teacher is teaching. As a result, most students in Singapore have embraced English tuition.
3. Physics
Physics is one of the complex subjects that kids pursue in school. It is not a cup of tea for many students, especially when they join higher levels. Therefore, most parents enroll their children early for physics tuition to help them perform to their best. This is because physics tutors help students master the physics concepts well.
Also, physics is one of the most common tuition subjects because it is a career subject. If you want to become an engineer, lab technician, medical personnel, among other careers, you need to be a physics student. This is because physics concepts contribute a lot to these fields.
Moreover, over the years, physics syllabus has changed. What most parents learned in school is not what their children are learning. Therefore, the parents have little to offer their children’s assignments and revision. As a result, parents prefer to take the children for physics tuition in Singapore.
Singapore has a good number of physics tuition. This is because many students require help that physics tutors can offer. You can invite a private tutor to home-school your kid or send them to a physics tuition centre. Most students have performed well through the assistance of physics tuition.
4. Chemistry
Just like physics, chemistry is a complex subject. It contains theories, formulas, equations, and calculations that require extra effort to capture in detail. For this reason, chemistry is one of the common tuition subjects in Singapore. Students prefer to seek help from chemistry tutors to do their best.
Also, when you get to a higher level like Junior College, chemistry becomes broader. At times, what the school offers in school may not be enough due to the large class-size. Therefore, a JC chemistry tuition comes in to help you where you lagged in school.
In addition, chemistry is a lifetime subject. It is not only helpful in your academic journey but also your general life. Some skills gained through learning chemistry are a great contributor to your life, for instance, problem-solving skills. Chemistry allows you to know how to think critically, analyze the situation, and come up with a solution.
Therefore, chemistry tuition classes are considered highly by students and parents in Singapore. This is because they not only want to do well in exams but also gain different life skills. Prepare your child for the future by allowing them to attend the nearby chemistry tuition centre.
5. Biology
Biology contributes to your daily life. It helps you to understand both living and non-living things. Also, it brings an understanding of the different functions taking place in living things. For instance, biology helps you understand the process of blood circulation, digestion, and parts of your body broadly.
Secondly, biology has contributed a lot to research. Most space explorations and landing use animals to conduct research. Also, when it comes to the field of engineering and biometric drug research, most of the knowledge applied by scientists comes from biology. Therefore, biology is the heart of some research that affects your lives.
Although the subject is not as difficult as physics and chemistry, some students find it hard to cope with it without extra assistance. For this reason, biology is a common tuition subject in Singapore. A biology tutor helps you to have what it takes to do your best in the exams.
When you have your best biology tutor, you don’t have to worry. This is because, through the tuition classes, you get to know how to memorize every detail about living things. Also, biology requires you to be good at spelling. Therefore, the biology tuition classes help you to remain in touch with your notebooks and hence, keep the correct spellings in your mind.
6. Mother Tongue
According to the Straits Times, Chinese, one of the mother tongues taught in Singaporean schools, is among the top three tuition subjects. Among the pre-school going kids, Chinese takes a share of 34.1% among the three. For the primary-going children, the Chinese take about 43.6% of the tuition share in Singapore.
Parents send their children for mother tongue tuition sessions because it is part and parcel of their education. Students pursue their mother tongue up to JC college, and therefore, its contribution to your academics is evident. Hence, it is necessary to get Chinese tuition classes for the best exam results.
Also, children attend mother tongue tuition centres because their parents cannot help them to do assignments. This is because their parents are not conversant with the language since they do not use it at home. For this reason, the mother tongue has become of the most sought-after tuition subjects in Singapore.
When you have your children tutored in the above subjects, you will have offered the best. This is because these subjects contribute a lot to their exam results. Therefore, when they get extra assistance, they will do their best and hence become academic giants. Also, these common tuition subjects offer the best careers across the globe. Thus, if your kid performs well in these subjects, they get excellent jobs in the world.