A STUDY OF PRIVATE TUTORS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

The pursuit of educational credentials is an important issue, especially in a meritocratic society like Singapore. This has led to the rise of private tuition in Singapore. One important related segment of this social phenomena, the private tutors have been arousing tremendous controversy and debate concerning their quality and significance in relation to the education system and the wider society. This exploratory study uses a sample 103 private tutors, coming from different socio-economic and educational background. They were approached and interviewed for their opinions and outlook on the tuition problem. An additional 30 people well-informed about the private tuition scene in Singapore were also interviewed using informal and unstructured interviews. The study has established the following findings: 1. Majority of the tutors in the market are female. 2. Their age can range from 16 to above 50 years. 3. These tutors come from different from different socio-economic and occupational backgrounds. Their occupations include housewives, students, teachers, clerical officers, engineers, graduates and retired persons. 4. Majority cited attractive monetary incentive as the primary motivation for giving tuition. 5. They are generally not well-informed about the market rates to be charged for the different subjects or levels. They, therefore, charge their students based on individual preferences and inferences from the students' socio-economic background. 6. The average income drawn from giving tuition can be as little as $50 or as much as $600 a month.