Another measure to consider is regulating advertising by tutoring centers and tutors. Learning centers and instructors use fear as a marketing strategy to persuade parents that private tuition is essential to reduce the risk of being left behind.
For example, some learning centers use words like “necessary” and “important” in their promotional materials to reach preschoolers. It is also common for tutoring centers to use high pass rates or percentages of nationally top scores as objective measures of the center’s performance. In reality, however, a rigorous student selection and filtering process may have been in place even before enrollment and throughout the program.
Another notable concern is that the sector excessive segmentation Different tuition fees result in unequal access. For tuition fees to function properly as a supporting element of Singapore’s education system, it is essential to regulate costs and thereby ensure equal opportunities for all.
In addition to all this, there is also the challenge of deciding who should regulate. This responsibility does not rest solely with the Ministry of the Environment, as its primary role is to oversee education as a public good rather than private consumption.
While the education system is gradually changing, and it may take more time to change the mindset of parents significantly, the private tuition sector will also need to evolve.
Dr. Xue Zhang is a Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Center of Excellence for National Security (CENS), Singapore.
Dr. Intan Azura Mokhtar is Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Community Leadership and Social Innovation (CLASIC) at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).