THE new school session has started and tuition providers have resumed their business. More tuition centres have sprouted up across the country as most parents feel that sending their children to school is not enough.

When their children do not perform well in school, those who can afford it resort to tuition classes.

Many do not realise that even tuition would not solve their children’s academic pro-blems.

Some parents feel anxious when they see others sending their children for tuition, so they, too, send theirs for tuition.

Some children do not perform well in school because of a myriad of problems, not necessarily because of academic reasons alone. But parents think their children’s problems could be resolved when they are sent for tuition.

Often, after spending on tuition classes, students and parents come to realise that they have gained nothing much through this process. By then, it is too late.

We know of many students who depend on the school and their home environment to study and have become exemplary students.

Fortunately, they have parents who are aware of the potential in their children and do the right thing for them.

The fact is, we just cannot get away from tuition providers as there is always demand for such services.

However, these providers must conduct their business in an ethical manner.

There is no doubt there are tuition providers who are exceptionally good and give students the personal coaching they miss in school.

But since there is no authority to regulate them, some tuition providers operate without conforming to any regulations or standards. There are tuition providers accommodating more than 30 students in a class, which makes it no different from school.

There are centres where school teachers are employed to teach.

There are also centres where school teachers conduct tuition on their own. One wonders how these teachers could cope with their work in school after spending many hours at tuition centres.

The government has to ensure that all tuition providers are regulated for the benefit of parents and schoolchildren. Not all parents are aware that some tuition centres are only there to make money.

DR M.A. NAIR, Bandar Muadzam Shah

Source: NST – January 11, 2008