However, the consequence behind this "stormy" acceleration is a generation of teenagers living in anxiety and depression.
Private tutoring has long been ingrained in Singaporean life. From flyers handed out at school gates, late-night study sessions to fully booked tutors, private tutoring has become an integral part of secondary education .
With total spending reaching S$1.8 billion by 2023, up nearly 30% from 2018, Singapore has become one of the countries with the highest per capita spending on private tutoring in the world .
With global competition becoming increasingly fierce, parents see private tutoring as an “insurance policy” to ensure their children do not fall behind. Spending up to S$8,000 a month on tutors for her four sons, Olivia Chua shared: “I have no choice. Without tutors, my children will not listen to me.”
However, with high expectations comes an immeasurable drop in morale. Leshane Lim, 16, attends extra classes three times a day, so many days she only has three minutes to eat.
Lim shared: “I used to think that day was extremely miserable. But I had to put myself in that situation because I wanted to study better.”
Singapore’s Ministry of Education is trying to regulate tutoring centres, but intervening in an industry with huge demand and strong financial investment from parents is a huge challenge. Singaporean students perform among the highest in the world on PISA tests, but studies also show that they suffer from higher levels of test anxiety and fear of failure than most OECD countries.
Singapore is not the only country struggling with academic performance. China banned after-school tutoring in 2021, but demand for private tutoring skyrocketed, along with prices. South Korea, famous for its private tutoring centers, has also struggled to find a solution to the problem of controlling the pressure to study.
According to UNESCO, the global private tutoring industry will be worth $171 billion by 2028, up from $111 billion in 2023. In North America, the figure is forecast to rise from $44.9 billion this year to $61.1 billion in 2030.
UNESCO warns that the uncontrolled growth of “underground education” could exacerbate social inequality as only well-off families have access to high-quality services.
“Chronic stress and lack of sleep are the two most common psychological problems among students due to excessive tutoring,” said Rebecca Chan, a lecturer at the National Institute of Education in Singapore. “Children need time to rest and develop naturally, not to compete with a tight schedule.”
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/ap-luc-hoc-them-de-nang-hoc-sinh-singapore-post742030.html
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