Ask any Singaporean millennial whether they have had tuition growing up, and you’ll likely hear more than your fair share of “ya, of course la”. A recent government survey showed that Singaporean households spent $1.8 billion on private tuition, and that figure is only projected to grow year on year.
For many of my peers, tuition centres became a second home. Our after-school and weekend hours were spent toiling over past-year papers, all in the hopes of acing our upcoming exams – or, in other words, avoiding the guilt of wasting our parents’ hard-earned money on these extra classes.
But while tuition is a well-intentioned rite of passage many Singaporeans go through, most of us leave the after-school enrichment grind with more sian stories than happy memories. The long hours spent in dull classrooms and the constant pressure to perform often overshadow any potential benefits.
Yet, tuition isn’t inherently bad. It’s just that, looking back, there are a lot of things I wish my parents had done differently when it came to supporting my education. Here’s my story, in the hopes that my experience can offer a different perspective on how we might approach childhood education in Singapore.
Image credit: Canva Pro
For many parents, tuition is seen as a necessary investment in their children’s future, and my family was no exception.
I spent most of my primary school years at 4 different tuition centres, receiving help for every subject on my timetable. Honestly, I take responsibility for this excess – my obsession with PC games left me with little interest in schoolwork, much to my mum’s dismay. My grades kept dipping, and external remedial classes were my mum’s solution.
I had a seemingly eternal loop of lessons after school was over. English sessions on weekdays, Chinese lessons on Saturdays, Maths and Science tutoring back-to-back on Sundays. It felt as though whenever I wasn’t studying, I was somehow wasting time.
Weekends were like a mini prison sentence. The centre I was schooled at for Maths and Science had dull classrooms, with their understimulating grey walls and uncomfortable desks. The ambience was coupled with a tutor who – while extremely knowledgeable – didn’t make the learning material any more exciting.
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I remember feeling so disengaged that I’d make a racket to pass the 4 hours I was stuck there, until one day, it got so bad that my tutor slammed the table in frustration and walked out of the class. That was a wake-up call for me – I knew then that I wasn’t learning, I was just enduring.
My language classes felt just as pointless. All we did were past year papers, and I often resorted to copying answers from the internet. Looking back, I feel guilty for taking the easy way out, but I was just a kid, stuck in a grind I didn’t understand.
Frankly, I wish my parents had realised I didn’t need more tuition; I needed my education to be more structured and enjoyable. Mundane classes in a dull setting weren’t the solution. What would’ve helped more was connecting with the material in a way that sparked my curiosity.
After being stuck in this regime for 3 years, my mother pulled the plug on classes because she saw no significant improvement in my grades. By then, I felt jaded about learning and lacked any real motivation to engage with my studies.
It took private classes with my uncle and a lot of self-reflection to make me realise that I needed to do better in school – not only for my parents, but for myself.
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My parents thought they were doing what was best for me because they grew up poor and wanted me to have a better shot at life. I knew this even then, but it still caused some strain.
Honestly, I didn’t mind tuition at first, but what I wished for was more encouragement from them or at least some recognition of the effort I was putting in, despite my complaints. At that age, I disliked how no one acknowledged that it was tough for a 9-year-old to sit through 4 hours of tuition with no breaks every weekend.
This lack of time amplified my social anxiety as well, because I didn’t have any free time to go out and just be a kid. I wanted hobbies, to socialise with my friends, and to even bond more with my family, but tuition meant I had little time for anything else.
Today, my biggest wish is that my parents had taken a step back and asked themselves: Is this excessive? Clearly, all that time and money weren’t translating into better results, nor did the quality of education I received help remedy what I lacked.
If I had to go to tuition centres, I just wish my parents had considered that the environment plays a crucial role. Also, to give me a schedule that had some room to breathe – I needed to buck up, sure, but I also needed time to be a kid.
Image credit: MindChamps’ MindSpace
Enter MindChamps’ MindSpace, a complete after-school and enrichment curriculum designed for children aged 7 to 12. This is not just student care, it is a school-after-school curriculum that has integrated research-backed, proprietary learning techniques and programmes into its classes. Its methods have enabled its students to achieve up to 6 grade improvements in the PSLE for English, Maths, Science and Chinese.*
There, students receive everything they need to excel in school and in life. This includes daily homework and spelling guidance that aligns with MOE syllabi, as well as Champion Mindset coaching and subject enrichment integrated into their timetables. A nutritious lunch and snacks, individually packed, are also provided.
Image credit: MindChamps’ MindSpace
Learning is made more engaging and fun, helping students build confidence as they connect concepts across subjects with ease. MindChamps’ MindSpace’s Optimal Flow Method teaches your child not just what to learn, but more importantly, how to learn, empowering them to actively understand all the subjects taught at school. The difference is evident: in the 2024 Parents’ Survey, 99% rated their children’s educational development as Excellent or Good.**
Behind this success is a team of educators who undergo up to 200 hours of professional training and accreditation in-house, regardless of their prior experience or qualifications.
Image credit: MindChamps’ MindSpace
Classes are also designed to be after school instead of in the evenings, giving students precious time to bond with their friends and family. Tuition is conducted at 29 centres islandwide, so there’s always a MindChamps’ MindSpace location within reach. And if weekdays don’t fit your schedule, you can still choose from a range of weekend subject programmes to ensure your child gets the support they need.
At the end of the day, the key to academic success isn’t about endless hours of tuition for the sake of it – it’s about finding the right balance between learning, personal growth, and leisure time.
If I had the chance, I would’ve benefited more from an environment like MindChamps’ MindSpace, where education goes beyond memorisation. If I ever have kids, I know what I’ll choose – not more classes for the sake of it, but smarter learning that nurtures both their academic and personal development.
This post was brought to you by MindChamps’ MindSpace.
Cover image adapted from: Canva Pro.
*The results have been verified by Forvis Mazars LLP (fka Mazars LLP) in Singapore to supporting records provided by the Company, based on specified procedures in accordance with the Singapore Standard on Related Services SSRS 4400 Engagements to Perform Agreed-upon Procedures Regarding Financial Information.
**Of 605 parents who responded to the survey.
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