Are private tuitions necessary for students?

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Let me start by giving you a glimpse of the experiences I had with private tuitions, when I was a student. By private tuitions, I mean the extra coaching classes that students are sent to, for regular subjects taught at school.

I guess I was in the seventh standard when I first went to a tuition for mathematics. Well, in my locality students were sent to tuitions for scoring better marks than what they were already scoring.

The first tuition I went to, was hopeless. The instructor made everyone sit in benches and asked us to solve whatever maths problems we wanted. He made sure that his interference or our interference was least, as he did not want to be disturbed while he was reading his newspaper/magazines!

During my 8th Standard, I joined in another tuition class (again for mathematics) and this tuition teacher was quite strict. We had to solve a certain number of problems in a day and we were made to stay back till we did. The ‘effect’ started showing in my exam results and I was getting better marks.

During my 10th Standard, I went to a different class where I was made to do a lot of exercises. Just by solving various types of problems repetitively, it was easier to grasp the pattern, formulas and the subject. I did well in maths, both the years.

In my twelfth standard, I joined tuitions for three subjects – Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I did this mainly because all my friends at school had joined and I thought maybe it was not a bad idea. The issue was, I now shifted to the state board curriculum where text-book problems were repeated in the exams (for maths) and it was sheer memorization/mugging up for physics and chemistry.

As you might have guessed, the private tuitions were like a second school. Whatever happened at school was repeated at the tuitions as well. Same thing. Of course, there were double tests – once in school and once at tuitions. Though these classes helped me to get more marks, these are my observations about private tuitions:

  • Tuitions make children robotic. They just memorize stuff/get familiar with problems/ take more tests and through sheer repetition of the same thing, get more marks.
  • Tuitions add a new dimension to inefficiency. Something that should have been done at school is repeated all over again in tuitions. Double time + double money = High levels of inefficiency.
  • Tuitions are a byproduct of the pathetic state of our education system. I feel that they thrive due to it.
  • I think that tuitions are an extension of a parenting culture that force kids into submission, which results in the suppression of their creativity.
  • Tuitions increase the spoon-feeding practice, already in vogue at the various so-called ‘top’ schools.
  • Tuitions prevent any kind of self-initiative from the students side. They are always told what to do and they mechanically obey, which has disastrous consequences on the long-term.
  • Some parents send children to tuitions because there is no one to supervise them at home! Some of them send children to tuitions because they don’t want to feel guilty of neglecting their children’s tutoring at home (by parents).
  • Tuitions have become a means for higher income to certain teachers. In fact, some of them make more than what they make at schools.
  • In some schools, I heard that children are forced to join tuitions offered by the same teacher. Otherwise they risk lower marks during examinations!

In my school, it was a rule that teachers should not conduct private tuitions after school. I feel that all schools should follow this. I am not saying that tuitions are a total waste of time as some students do get more marks due to it. But they also start becoming a slave to spoon-feeding. You can imagine what will happen if this attitude continues during higher education (engineering, etc). It actually does.

Destination Infinity

26 thoughts on “Are private tuitions necessary for students?

  1. Jas

    I agree with you on certain points like spoon feeding. I went to tuitions from class 10th till 12th mainly because -one it was board exams and second the teachers in class never used to bother much about really explaining the fundas. But there are certain students who need real assistance specially the children with problems like dyslexia, autism.

    1. Rajesh K

      Here at my place, all the bright students were the first ones to sign up for tuitions during +2, and even before! When they know they can manage their studies themselves, I wonder what made them sign up for tuitions for a subject like chemistry?? Sadly, that includes me.

      Destination Infinity

      1. Jas

        Chennai is known for this if I am not wrong…

      2. Rajesh K

        Both TN and AP are known for such religious devotion to studies. Irrespective of any logic that may come in their way.

        Destination Infinity

    2. Shyamal Kumar Kar
      Shyamal Kumar Kar says:

      Tuition is necessary as because most of the schools and colleges do not recruit good and quality teachers. Students are not motivated to learn properly and are left uncared. If best quality dedicated teachers are appointed then tuitions are not required. But getting best teachers is a theoretical concept only.. In reality a horrible picture can be seen through out world…

  2. Bikram

    I did not take tuitions , But i took the money for tuitions 🙂 yeah i know i have been a bad boy.
    but i guess its the in thing these days .. I have a nephew who is in 4th or 5th class he has tuition , I feel sorry for him

    1. Rajesh K

      Oh, people send even smaller kids to tuitions these days. I guess its got to do with their peace of time or lack of time, than the children’s studies per se.

      Destination Infinity

  3. A

    Absolutely not necessary. I never had tutor. If a child needs little extra help, then it makes sense. I don’t believe you needed one.

    1. Rajesh K

      Yes. I never needed any help. I was pretty much among the top ten ranks, except for the last two years. It beats me today to think why I ever needed any tuitions for any subject other than mathematics. Even that, I could have handled it myself, had I been more committed to it.

      Destination Infinity

  4. sm

    it depends on school,
    and parents need to decide it carefully.
    nice post

    1. Rajesh K

      I think that self-tutoring is the best. I came to this conclusion after wasting so much money, time and efforts getting college degree, tuitions (during school), etc.

      Destination Infinity

  5. kismitoffeebar

    DI,

    True all of that. I neve have attended tuitions because they required me to get up early and frankly, I didn’t want/need them. Sometimes I used to feel a bit worried looking at colour coded tuition notes and wonder if I was missing out on some 8 mark question but it passed. My parents didn’t force me either.

    However, tales of tuitions woudl appall me !the reason is they seem to have cut offs for batches and people above 95 have a better chance of makign it to the better batch, mean I never understood that. The teacher would help the toppers with more sums, more classes as they were the achievers. the other group had a different timetable and lesser interest on part of the teacher. Some form of stream-lining !

    Lets pray the children don’t lose out on other wodnerful opportunities like music, drawing etc because of tuitions.

    1. Rajesh K

      There is a school in our area which retains the bright students till 8:00 PM in the night and gives special attention/coaching to them. Parents love it. Perhaps they just need a few years to see how such things backfire.

      Destination Infinity

  6. Sandhya Kumar

    I agree with your observations, D.I. esp. ‘Some parents send children to tuitions because there is no one to supervise them at home! Some of them send children to tuitions because they don’t want to feel guilty of neglecting their children’s tutoring at home (by parents).’ I have seen parents doing this for LKG UKG children.

    Spoon feeding is rampant in top schools in Chennai, except for a few good schools.

    Good post.

    1. Rajesh K

      LKG, UKG children? Heights of craziness! Looks like things are getting worser by the day (when compared to the time we were studying). Spoon-feeding is the USP of certain schools. Parents love it. Teachers love it. Students love it. These marks-focused training methodology has its not so desirable aftereffects. Lets see how many of them love that.

      Destination Infinity

  7. Confused D

    Not at all! When today, both the parents are working, sitting and helping them with studies is the only way to spend quality time with them. This way they tend to open up more and tell whatever is bothering them. And tuitions are time consuming too. How will they do other activities when tuitions would take all their time!

    1. Rajesh K

      That’s another point. There is no time to develop hobbies or other special skills which might be quite useful later on in life, if they spend their time in tuitions.

      Destination Infinity

  8. Anupama

    Dear Friend,
    It depends on the capability,situations and school coaching.
    It has its benefits too!
    Those who really need that extra help must have it.
    Sasneham,
    Anu

    1. Rajesh K

      Well, yes. There are some benefits to tuitions. But I don’t see why little kids and students who are good at studies should sign up for it. I am also not sure how much it helps students who are not so good at studies.

      Destination Infinity

  9. kanagu

    After going to tuitions during my school days now I came to a conclusion that I shouldn’t have gone there and should have used that time to learn something else…

    Like you, me too joined the tuition for XII as my friends joined. One big mistake. It ruined my XIth summer holidays. In my school too, there are few teachers who don’t teach much in class but put more efforts in tuition which easily brings the students there.

    Parents are another reason as they feel they are responsible by putting their children in ‘special classes’.

    1. Rajesh K

      Same with me!

      Destination Infinity

  10. Rahul Aggarwal

    i being a tutor .. cannot agree to all points you’ve mentioned Rajesh .. but i do accept few of your points ..

    tell me, if your dad or some child’s parents or anyone elderly in the house try to make their child learn some subject and without any external tuition, they should also be categorized as tutor in some form but does that mean that that extra education at home is making student more robotic or hampering in any way in their development…

    tuition is good only if it is taken properly .. school education is also one form of tuition given to students because parents do not get time to sit with their children and certain times parents are not too educated to impart education to their children so they send them to school…which again is a tuition institution…

    just a viewpoint..not meant to be offensive .. excuse me if i did sound offensive!

    1. Rajesh K

      My opinion is that even schools are not required after 8th Standard. But then, the question of specialization needs to be tackled and perhaps it can be tackled differently. Even if schools and tuitions are there, they should guide children to reach the best of their potential and give them a thorough understanding of the subject, instead of spoon feeding them for getting more marks.

      Destination Infinity

  11. Reema

    My family has always believed in self studies though coaching classes are a big hit in my hometown..students come from far and stay in PG just for tuition. I took coaching only in 11th and 12th because everyone else was to prepare for entrance exams. But I used to bunk so much! 😀 Never liked tuition classes.

    1. Rajesh K

      I don’t understand the purpose of tuition classes during 11th and 12th as students are very much capable of studying on their own.

      Destination Infinity

  12. Shyamal Kumar Kar
    Shyamal Kumar Kar says:

    I feel happy to guide my students so that they themselves learn the basics of subject matter along with preparation for examination. Attempts are made to make the students disciplined and self reliant. Every care is taken to find proper career for each enrolled students. Soft skil, life managing skill, communication skills, healthy living skill etc are provided.

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