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Many
Malaysians would associate the term 'tuition' with
tuition centers. And rightly so, because these tuition
centers represent the most abundant form of extra
coaching available in the country. However, there
is another type of tuition that is gaining fast
in popularity.
It
goes by various names; such as home tuition, private
tuition, personal tuition, one-to-one tuition, individual
tuition, small group tuition etc. The main feature
which sets it apart from the tuition centers is
its smaller student-to-teacher ratio, which translates
to more personal attention for each student. Ultimately,
this personal attention would achieve better results
compared to tuition centres and schools.
Close & personal attention
Just
how personal is the attention provided by private
tuition? The form of private tuition with the largest
class size is called small group tuition (or just
group tuition). In a typical group tuition, there
is no more than 10 students coached by one tuition
teacher (or tutor). These students may or may not
belong to the same level of studies. However, each
is still apportioned a slice of the allotted tuition
time, so that every student can still enjoy some
private teaching catered to him or her alone.
A
session of private tuition normally ranges from
an hour to three hours at a time. Therefore, the
smaller the group size, the more each individual
student would benefit. Compare this to the class
size at school and at tuition centers, which can
be as large as 25 to 50 students in some urban tuition
centers. It is a saddening fact that some of these
tuition centres have even more crowded classes than
schools.
Your very own teacher
A logical conclusion to the trend of decreasing
class size, is just one student to a tuition teacher.
Termed one-to-one tuition, it is the most exclusive
form of private coaching that you'll ever find.
The tutor in this case would devote 100% of his
or her attention to the student for the entire duration
of the session. Often times, the tutor will be so
attuned to the student's learning habits and skills
that the teaching process is customized for maximum
understanding and retention.
Targeted coaching
Why
is private tuition considered the most preferred
form of coaching? Many felt that a private tutor
is capable of providing that extra push when needed
because school teachers have too many classes and
too little time for individual attention. Especially
when it is a year of major examination. Burdened
by a large class size, individual attention is an
extremely rare commodity in schools. |
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On
the other hand, students who cannot keep pace with
the school lessons may also be reluctant to delay
the class's progress with incessant questioning
that forces the teacher to repeat a lesson. However,
they feel completely at ease and guilt-free when
demanding the same from a private tutor because
they have paid for the time.
Customized & flexible
lessons
The
personal attention of a tutor can be invaluable
for some subjects such as Mathematics, whereby a
student can benefit from a step-by-step guidance.
For example, a private tutor could go through each
and every step of the solution and point out where
the student went wrong.
Another
plus point about private tutors is that they often
teach students better methods to solve questions
and problems. This gives the students an extra advantage
over their peers and makes school lessons more interesting
as they can compare their own 'superior' methods
against the conventional methods taught by teachers
in class. Students are no longer bored during class
when they know they have the upper hand.
Flexibility
is also another advantage of private tuition because
the tutor teaches according to your pace and is
not in a rush to finish the syllabus, as the class
teachers are. If the student is tied down in a particular
topic, the tutor will concentrate on it until it's
cleared up. Conversely, if the student races through
a section, the tutor can provide an extra impetus
by teaching beyond the textbooks.
Specialist care for the
weak
More and more people are recognizing the effectiveness
of private tuition, especially when the student
concerned is particularly weak in school. Such cases
have frustrated many parents, who have exhausted
all other avenues to remedy their children's academic
plight.
When
faced with a non-performing child, most parents
would first send him or her to a tuition center.
When that proved inadequate, they will finally turn
to private tuition. And this will usually take the
form of one-to-one tuition, for maximum effect.
This is often the last resort for parents of these
weak students. Although not many private tutors
would actually profess to effecting a full turnaround,
it will be rare not to see some positive improvements
in the grades, at the very least.
In summary, learning capabilities differ greatly
from person to person. Private tuition is a personalized
service that will remedy problems and enhance performance.
Click here to
hire a tutor |
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