Private tuition: boon or bane?

By Lal KANNANGARA

We live in an era where we have easy access to sources of knowledge. We have the books, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, internet and host of others. As far as present day children are concerned, the majority of students do not try to learn in the hard way. Instead they go for short cuts to improve their knowledge. Therefore private tuition has become a popular mode of learning to quench their thirst for knowledge.

It is worthwhile to discuss why children attend these so-called mushroom tuition classes. Most of the children believe that they can not pass examinations without attending extra classes. Therefore many children seek help of tutors. There is nothing wrong if anybody says that some children attend two or three classes for each subject hoping to pass the exam with flying colours.

There is plethora of allegation that the majority of school teachers do not do their duty properly. Some school teachers are confined to the texts and they do not do any extra activities to help children at competitive examinations. They may be under impression that whether they work or not, they will get their salary on the scheduled date. They must understand that if they do not work for the betterment of students, it will boomerang on themselves.

On the other hand, private tutors apply different methods to lure unsuspecting students. They display huge eye-catching posters every nook and corner of the area. Sometimes they carry full page advertisements in newspapers. Most of these tutors are capable drawing the attention of children. They also have a large number of anecdotes and rib-tickling jokes to keep the audience attentive and alive. Sometimes beautifully designed file covers, tutorials, handbills and mini dictionaries are distributed among students.

One factor that propels students to follow tuition classes is that they are compelled to learn because they pay for what they learn. In school, education is free and it is not very much appreciated by students and parents. Most students who attend these classes are teenagers and they seek some form of entertainment while learning. They want to have access to good canteens, swimming pools and other recreational activities.

Private tutors work hard to produce good results; if not they can not survive in the field for a considerable period of time. Nowadays attending tuition classes has become a passion. Some children proudly say that they attend many tuition classes and sometimes private tutors visit their homes. Those who do not attend classes feel that they are missing something that their peers enjoy.

However when children get good results with the help of private tutors, the credit usually goes to the school and the staff. In case of failure also, the school gets the blame. Private tuition has its own benefits to students. It is a known fact that most tutors have mastered the psychology of students and how examinations are conducted. Sometimes they are able to give probable questions and ready made answers that help students to pass examinations.

We should not forget the fact that most of the tutors design their lessons and put them across in a highly effective way. This helps students to master the salient points of any subject.

A cross section of teachers, parents and students aired their views in this regard.

State award winning writer Ven. Batuwangala Rahula - "In the good old days, teachers did not expect any monetary gains by imparting knowledge. However it has been gradually developing and at present tuition classes have dominated the entire education system. Tuition classes have become so popular that children are neglecting school education.

In the past the teacher had to mould the character of students. Today his role has been changed to prepare students to pass examinations. At present, we see a very big competition among the tutors themselves. It is a very bad sign and it leads to cut-throat competition. Some private tutors are in the habit of criticizing their counterparts and the lion share of the time is used criticising others and blowing their own trumpet.

The sad factor is our children are gradually keeping away from Dhamma schools. We all will have to pay the price for that in near future.

However, some private tutors have been successful to a great extent. They have shown good results over the years. I have seen them organizing Sil campaigns and mediation programmes to inculcate good morals and values in young generation. We can not underestimate the noble service rendered by some school teachers. They conduct extra classes free of charge and help children to pass examinations. They always show the correct path for children.

Wimal Wickremathanthri, the principal of Sinhala K.V. Welipenna said, "The main objective of education is to produce productive citizens for the country. In this context, schools play a major role. We have to welcome and accept all children who step into schools where as tutors have the liberty to accept or refuse children to their classes. In schools children learn a lot by doing extra curricular activities and it will certainly be useful in their later life.

Now children are, running a rat race to pass examinations. We see parents dragging their children from one class to another. Children have no time to play and they never enjoy the beauty of the nature. Most of them are undernourished and they suffer from many ailments from their early childhood. Children are striving hard to pass their grade five scholarship examination and it is a real burden for the children.

Once they fail the exam, they feel inferiority complex and it affects their future. What I have observed that some of the children who pass grade 5 scholarship exam tend to fail at other exams. Therefore grade 5 scholarship examination can not be considered a barometer to gauge a student's intelligence. I have no objections to government teachers giving tuition, provided they do their work conscientiously. A parent who prefers to remain anonymous said " I was born in 1940 and there were no tuition classes at that time. There was no such competition to enter prestigious colleges. As a result students paid attention to what they were taught in school and passed their examinations easily. One reason for this situation may be that there was no big student population at that time. It was a time when a child does not attend school, the parents were prosecuted. Teachers stayed after hours and coached their students in various activities without charging any payment.

Christy Anthony, a government school teacher in Tangalle; "I believe that children should get extra knowledge. How ever some of the private tutors have questionable academic qualifications. Sometimes, those who have failed the G.C.E. (O/L) examination start giving private tuition in English and various other subjects. Many parents have no time to check what their children are doing in private classes. There will be a drastic change in our education system, once thousand schools are developed under the new project. Principals and teachers should be given a leadership training for the betterment of the future generation.

Dev Colonne - a private tutor in Matugama said, "Most of children attend tuition classes and they have a great faith in tuition masters. Private tutors try to enhance and update their knowledge. We must help our children to explore new things. Children come to tuition classes to get good grades at examinations and we are catering to their needs. However new methodology has to be used in classrooms.

Laklani Jayaweera - Final year medical student of Sri Jayewardenepura University said, "I studied at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo. I was able to enter the faculty of medicine at the second attempt. My teachers in school contributed a lot for my success. As far as tuition classes are concerned, I also attended classes for my A/Level. I think those classes helped me immensely to enter the faculty of medicine. However students should determine to work hard to achieve success.

The sad factor is that some children attend many classes and they have no time to study the notes. What they need to understand is that they must not postpone their work till tomorrow. What they can do today "procrastination is the thief of time" the saying goes. Pabasara Sewwandi Perera of grade 13 at St. Mary's College, Matugama:

"After passing my grade five scholarship examination, I was able to gain admission to a prestigious school in Colombo. I passed my O/L with flying colours. Anyway I thought of coming back to Matugama to do my A/L because travelling all the way from Matugama to Colombo is a hassle. I always believe in my teachers in the school. As examinations are very competitive, children are compelled to attend tuition classes. However, a student must have an easy access to the teacher to clear doubts. Children get discouraged to ask questions when there is an umpteen number in the class. To sum up, in today's context private tuition has become a sine qua non. Therefore, instead of abolishing private tuition, the government must regulate the activities of private tutories.