I came across a lovely article on how the government was checking on parents who are forcing their children into several academic tuition classes in South Korea!

So?   Very soon we too will have to take similar steps looking at some of the schools which are pushing their students directly or indirectly into taking tuition.  I can students of Bishops making a beeline to tuition teachers' homes. Those who have more than one child find is cheaper and more convenient to call the teachers at home for hoe tuitions.

I am not against tuitions or teachers who take classes at home. But I find it very firstly illogical to send the child to the school first to attend classes, then come back eat a bit of food and rush off to tuitions!

And invariably, the tuitions are taken by the same teachers who teach them in their classes.

I think there is seriously something amiss.

The school where kids have to goto another teaching mode, means only one of the following:

1. The teachers at school are not teaching what they are supposed to teach, or that how they are teaching is the question, that even after their classes, the poor child has to goto another teacher to learn the same concepts.
2. The child is unable to cope with the speed of the class being conducted, hence needs a support to make the concepts clear.
3. The parents are unable to teach the child because they find it difficult to understand the curriculum based on their backgrounds.
4. The parents are too lazy or too busy in their social lives to not spend enough time with their children and revise the concepts taught in the school everyday even for 10 min.
5. The school has too many kids in the class that the poor teacher is unable to give attention to all children.
6. The child is over enthusiastic and wants to stand topper in the class.

Now let us take each point one by one:

1. If the teachers are not able to teach they way they are supposed to, its but natural that the concepts will not be clear. The problem factor here is incapable teachers. Many teachers do not know the concepts themselves. Many got into teaching because that was the only job they were left with as the career option. Many teachers join teaching because they want a relaxed career life! Many join schools as that is the only job that can be easily available to them once they get married to someone who is trotting all over the country. Well if the schools' do look into the factors deeply while recruiting these can be avoided.  My sympathies are with teachers and will be working for them soon.

So is there a way out?

• Talk to the teacher and explain your concern. Many parents fear that if they goto the teachers and mention about the teaching quality, their child has to face the brunt. Frankly very few schools read Bishops do that. Most teachers are very understanding and would like to help every child. Maybe your child will get extra attention in the class after you spoke to the teacher.
• Talk to the school management about the teaching quality. Most of the times, this is taken care of at the management level itself. Sometimes, the management is not even aware that the parents have problems as no one comes and tells them.

If still no change is visible, change the school asap.

2. If the child is unable to cope up with the speed of teaching in the class, again the teacher needs to be made aware of it.

• In such cases, parents must sit with their child compulsorily and spend an hour every day and brush up all the topics taught in the class.
• Understand why the child is not coping up? Is it because the child is youngest in the class? Is it that the child is naturally slow? Is it because the school is too fast for the child? If the parents find out these reasons, they will spare their poor child from all the stress, shame and fear that the child might be prone to in future.
• Look for a school where the child is not stressed too much into academics.
• These are small changes which seem major, but worth adopting to give our children a freedom to grow as they are born with their inconsistencies, unnecessary do's and dont's.

3. If the parents are unable to teach due to their background then it is necessary to send the child to the tuition, provided it is needed by the child. Many parents might fall in the trap of assuming that sending their children to the tuition's is a good thing and  a must for good understanding. Sorry but if that is the reason then one must seriously check out their priorities with some one worthy. Sending your child for tuitions is not status symbol at all, infact the other way is more true.

4. If the parents are too lazy or too busy with their social life, that they have to send their children to tuition teachers, its sad. I wish they knew in the long run how much bonding they will get with their children, if they spent only 30 min everyday for school studies. Also the parent knows what is being taught and how the child is coping.

5. If the school has more than 25 children, even that is too many, I think no class teacher can remain focused, sane or have the awareness about which child is understanding and how much. All I can suggest is change the school asap.

6. The child is overenthusiastic and wants to learn more. No suggestion there. I would still give the child more books, internet and TV than a tuition teacher.

Coaching centers are different from tuition classes and should not be confused.

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School Reviews

The article I started out with is here http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2094427,00.html