There are quite a number of tuition centres in Singapore. Here are some advises on choosing a good tuition centre among them. But please keep in mind that the tuition fee must be high if a tuition centre can meet all of following.
1. Quality of Tuition Teachers
Most of the tutors in the tuition centres are qualified (should at least hold a university degree) and have certain amount of tutoring experience. It would be great if the tuition teachers are certified by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as they are trained in the National Institute of Education (NIE). The tuition fee is higher without doubt. Tuition teachers from Future Academy are all highly qualified. Teachers are from top MOE/IP schools or NIE trained.
2. Small Class Size
If a tuition teacher has to divide his or her attention to too many students, your child might not be able to get the individual attention and support he or she needs from the tutor in order to fully absorb the materials or comprehend them. This defeats the purpose of having tuition if it is same as the school. Tuition teacher will also be able to provide enough guidance to each individual in a class.
3. Good Teaching Materials
Materials that are prepared by the tuition centres for the students to practice and absorb is very crucial. It is very important that these materials should be in line with the syllabus as outlined by the MOE. It would be good if the teaching materials are produced in-house by their education researchers or the teachers themselves.
4. Tuition Centre Founders
The standards set by the centre principals or founders are very important as well. Some centres are very strict in recruiting their team of teachers whereas some require teachers to follow their in-house syllabus strictly etc. Tuition centres’ own culture and practices can have great impact on students learning under them. Always talk to the founders and find out their expectations towards the centre, the teachers and the students!
5. Accessible Location
Transportation to and from the centre itself could be a large hassle. The students may get lethargic easily after a long journey. This may cause them to have short attention span in the tuition classes. This could put the students off from actually going down to attend the lessons regularly.