Benefits of private tuition

Is private tuition always the answer? Maybe yes, maybe no. But in a country where more than 90% of students have tuition in one form or another, you can't deny that there has to be some benefits when it comes to private tutoring.

During my primary and secondary school years, I had my experiences as a student of private tuition. In university, my involvement in private tuition changes because now, I'm the tutor.

Hence, I have had my fair share of experiences, both as a student and as a tutor. And from these experiences, I'd like to share with you some of the benefits of private tutoring:

1. Comfortable pace of learning

With private tutoring, a student can learn at his/her own pace. Different students learn at different rates. In school, some teachers work with a class size of 30 (or more), and this makes individualized attention difficult. The problem is compounded when teachers are constrained by time, to follow a lesson plan closely. With private tutoring, weaker students can be afforded with adequate time to learn a subject.

2. Confidence

One of the important factors of achieving good grades is confidence. Confidence is acquired through constant practice. For students less independent, that can be developed with the guidance of a tutor. With private tuition, important academic concepts can be reinforced. This strengthens learning and helps instill confidence in students. One of the best tutors I had was Mr Foo, a retired physics teacher who kindly volunteered to tutor myself and three sec 4 classmates privately. His method of teaching gave us so much confidence in the subject and the four of us went on to score As.

3. Having your questions answered

Sometimes a student is afraid of asking questions in class. They do not want to embarrass themselves because they fear that people might think of their questions as unintelligent. Sometimes they just feel bad for disrupting the lesson. When I had a private tutor, I always clarrified my doubts. I wasn't even afraid of asking questions I thought were stupid.

4. Help in schoolwork

A private tutor can help you with your school work. As a student, I always asked my tutor for help on homework questions which I have difficulty solving. And as a tutor, I always encourage my students to ask me any homework questions that they may encounter difficulty solving. Students however, should not over-rely on their tutor to solve every single problem.