Tuition Centres VS Private Tutors In Singapore
Tuition Centres vs Private Tutors in Singapore
Tuition Centres versus Private Tutors: How much do they cost?
Tuition can be a very costly investment for your children, in order to set apart the differences, this post will break-down the cost differences between tuition centres and private tuition.
After which, we will explain 4 main influencing factors that extend beyond the monetary costs of tuition, these are the main points identified by Achievers Dream for parents to refer to before making a final decision.
A monetary comparison between private and public tuition
Tuition Centres
With most tuition centres in Singapore, the median costs are approximately $30 per hour for Primary School, $40 per hour for Secondary school, and upward of $55 per hour for Junior College (JC).
If counted as a monthly rate, tuition centres can account to approximately $480 per month for Primary School, $640 per month for Secondary School and $880 per month for JC students.
Based on these median calculations, families who have multiple children will minimally have to set aside a sum of $1500 to $2000 per month for tuition centres.
Private Tuition
Separately, for private tutors, the median rate varies based on the teacher’s qualifications.
For degree holders and NIE trainees, the rates are comparable to tuition centres. Typical costs are around $30 per hour for Primary School, $40 for per hour for Lower Secondary and $50 per hour for Upper Secondary, and around $55 to $60 per hour for JC.
For Ministry of Education (MOE) trained teachers, private tuition rates are around $40 to $70 per hour for Primary school, $55 to $70 per hour for lower Secondary, $55 to $80 per hour for upper Secondary, and $80 to $120 per hour for JC.
The Cost of Private Tuition vs Tuition Centres
Overall, this means private tuition is more expensive than a tuition centre. This is not entirely surprising, given that the private tutor has to travel, and can only teach one pupil or two pupils at a time.
Lastly, for tuition centres, there’s also registration fees which typically costs between $40 to 80. Some centres also require a security deposit of $80 to $120, which can be refunded upon termination of classes, depending on the centre’s terms and conditions.
What other costs are incurred from choosing between private tutors and tuition centres?
While details regarding the monetary costs of private and public tuition have been laid out extensively by many other sources, it is not the only factor that should influence your decision. To uncover the hidden factors that lead to these costs, Achievers Dream has highlighted four other factors that parents should consider before making a decision.
1) Time
Time is of the essence, this is especially so for students who already spend a significant amount of time in school. While private tuition use to have a lead in saving time by travelling to your location, some tuition centres currently offer a hybrid model. For example, Achievers Dream offers a half physical class and half online teaching style to minimise the spread of the Covid-19 virus. For better or for worse, the time taken to travel to tuition centres are now much more flexible and tuition centres are increasingly aware of the benefits of online lessons.
Thus, the first factor to consider is this, where is the closest tuition centre or tutor? Does private tuition or public tuition save a lot of time from travelling? If the answers to both question are yes keep this in mind.
2) Referrals and Discounts
On the topic of costs between private tutors and tuition centres, it is inherent that some offer discounts while others provide a better rate from referrals. These forms of discounts are more prevalent amongst private tutors.
Nonetheless, in place of discounts, Achievers Dream offers trial lessons, these take the form of free lessons or a month package.
With our team of trained teachers, we intend to offer affordable tuition while not lacking on quality, this package takes into account that students may be temporarily uncertain of certain concepts but not all of it. This is important as the solution to learning is not to apply a blanket discount but to assess your child's standards, queries and level of understanding within the syllabus. For some, they may not require a long discounted teaching package but a quick and targetted fix.
Hence, the second factor considers the question, "Are discounts and referrals good for tuition? ", "Are the discounts helping me or my child significantly?". Similarly, weigh these factors into your decision accordingly.
3) Peer Competitiveness
Private tuition offer dedicated 1 to 1 teaching. This has its own strengths and weakness.
On one hand, students are "held by the hand" by tutors every step of the way, they can quickly grasp concepts and feedback are almost always immediate.
On the other hand, when a student is placed into an environment without other friends, there is no source for reference, it is not immediately clear whether a child is doing well when compared with other students, additionally, it is hard to do practicals without actual experience.
It is not to say that a child should always be compared to others as that leads to unnecessary stress, but rather, interaction and peer influence can be more suited to your child. At Achievers Dream, we conduct lessons and practical, the nature of chemistry implies experimentation and curiosity, one that can be fostered by having a group to work with.
We offer an environment where all students can work together to achieve goals. To that end, we spent 2 years building a practical lab that is safe and cleared by multiple government agencies.
As a result, positive peer competitiveness can be a factor for consideration for the fair value that is being paid to tuition by a tuition centre in relation to private tuition.
4) Content Coverage
As briefly covered above, tuition centres aim to cultivate a strong foundational base for all students, while private tuition aim to quickly grasp concepts based on the student's weakness. To weigh both of these against one another, tuition centres certainly seem to cover more ground.
This is not an assumption, Achievers Dream offers a whole online package to supplement classroom teachings and practicals so that all students can learn chapter by chapter. The wealth of materials that is readily made available will not be the same as a private tutor. Given that more teachers are available in a tuition centre, there are also more pedagogical approaches to teach students with different methods, hence, it is easier to find a suitable tutor.
In terms of holistic content coverage, a tuition centre will mostly have an edge over a private tutor.
In Summary
To sum up the cost comparison between Tuition Centres and Private Tuition, parents will have to first consider the monetary costs.
Subsequently, assess the needs of your child based on the factors of time, discounts, peer competitiveness and content coverage.
After considering all of these factors you can be certain that improvements will be made, if in doubt, do not hesitate to enquire or approach our helplines.