The competition for education in Singapore has long been a topic of discussion. A recent experience shared by a private tutor has brought the debate to the forefront. She has been teaching English and math to primary school students for almost nine years. During a dinner party, she told the story of one of her students, which left everyone in the room speechless. According to her, the student’s name was Jun Wei, and when he first met her, she was in Primary Five.
Although she was only ten years old, her daily schedule was very busy. In addition to school, her routine included multiple tuition classes, music lessons and exam preparation almost every day. According to the tutor, this experience made her think about the impact that excessive academic pressure can have on children’s mental health.
Strict Schedule
According to the tutor, Jun Wei had a long list of tuition and studies throughout the week. Sometimes after school, he had to go to math, sometimes science or Chinese lessons. On other days, she also had piano or abacus classes on her schedule. She had only one hour of free time during the week. That time was also a Friday evening, only from 6 to 7 p.m.
As a result, there was almost no opportunity for normal play or rest for a ten-year-old child. In the words of the tutor, seeing such a schedule made her feel like it was a factory program.
Pressure on Grades
One day during the tuition session, Jun Wei showed an exam paper. There, she got a 78 in science. Although this was a good result for many, her mother commented, “This is not enough, you need to pay more attention.” According to the tutor, the comment was written in red ink and was not written by the teacher.
At the bottom of the paper, Jun Wei herself wrote in pencil, “I tried my best.” The tutor became very emotional upon seeing that writing. According to her, it is a worrying thing when a child cannot even consider her own efforts enough.
Loss of Interest
The tutor said that in the beginning, Jun Wei loved to draw dinosaurs in addition to studying. She knew a lot of information about different species of dinosaurs and explained them with enthusiasm. However, later her mother forbade her from using the sketchbook, as it was hindering her studies.
After that, the child’s interest gradually decreased. According to the tutor, her confidence also decreased over time. She would often say, “I don’t know,” before answering, even though it was later revealed that she knew the answer.
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