Daily Lessons from Life 03 November 2009

"Tue, Nov 03, 2009 The Straits Times - MOE should state stand on teachers who moonlight as tutors: A Letter by a Concerned Parent!

I AM writing to share my concern about the rising number of children receiving private tuition to supplement their education in school.

Looking through advertisements posted by tuition agencies, one cannot help but notice their promotion of 'current MOE school teachers' in their ranks.

I would like to understand the Ministry of Education's (MOE) rules on such practices by its teachers. Given their complaints of a heavy workload and all, how do they find time to moonlight?

Moonlighting is generally unacceptable in employment contracts. Does MOE's contract with teachers forbid this practice?

In addition, there is the offence of undeclared income by teachers, which should be subject to Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore rules. This is because current 'market rates' for MOE teachers can range from $80 to $100 an hour.

Lastly, the number of children who have tuition has risen, showing they do not understand their schoolwork. This means either the curriculum is too difficult or the teachers are not effective.
Why should I send my children to school and still have to coach them until 10pm every night?"

A vexing puzzle for me for a long time as Singapore claimed to have a world class educational system and yet there is this thrieving private tuition industry raking in mutli-million dollars!

Lessons for me are:

1. before we can begin to tackle a problem or challenge or opportunity for improvement, we need to recognize that we have such a problem or challenge or opporunity for improvment! If not, nothing will happen. I think this is the position of the MOE and the educationists in Singapore. Private tuition and formal education system complement each other! There is NOTHING wrong!;

2. it is clear to me that if MOE teachers take up private tuition on their own free time and without impacting their ability and commitment to perform their formal duties during school days, there is no need to be overly concerned. At the same time, we understood from many teachers in the MOE system that they are overwhelmed with work! So, one party is mistaken or both parties just cannot rationally analysed the so-called problems!;

3. unless the MOE teachers really need the money to moonlight, it is still something that the teachers need to consider very carefully. WHY do you want to be a low-pay (relative to other professions) teacher? The top consideration SURELY must be: to develop the next generation of learners and not about money and what luxury or holidays the money can buy for you!!

While Singapore is still publicly being acknowledged as all good and what-not, we seriously need to consider is too much private tuition, say > 60% of school going children, a signal that ALL is not well in the WORLD Acclaimed to have a world class educational system!!