Some parents also say they do not have confidence in the national education system, citing the lack of attention that their children are receiving from their teachers.
In addition, the proliferation of online courses following the Covid-19 pandemic has offered “personal attention” which the parents think their children need.
Peter Lim, who runs a tuition centre in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, said there has been a steady increase in student enrolment since the start of the new school session.
“We are looking at about 90 to 110 students,” he told FMT, adding that the centre catered to 170 to 180 children before the pandemic.
He attributed the increasing enrolment at tuition centres to the parents’ preference for physical classes rather than leaving their children to study on their own .
“Many parents have realised that when their children are at home, they don’t pay attention (to their studies),” he said.
R Magheswaran, a tuition teacher in Penang, said the flexibility of online classes through platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Learning meant that parents did not have to commute long distances to send their children for tuition classes.
“There is a much more personal touch through the one-on-one interaction between the students and their teachers,” he said.
Magheswaran said parents tend to rely more on tuition teachers to educate their children than school teachers because of the “focused attention” they receive.
He said the tuition centres offer “tailored support” that schools usually cannot offer because of their crowded classes and limited resources.
Parents’ perspectives
Several parents who send their children for tuition classes said they lack confidence in the national education system, while others admitted to having “mixed feelings” about the education policies.
Muhammad Rabbani said while many teachers are dedicated, “certain limitations” are causing him concern.
He said his children are not receiving the individual attention they need in school to be able to excel academically, prompting him to enrol them in tuition centres for a “more personalised learning experience”.
Lim Chung Wei expressed mixed feelings about the education system. “I appreciate the hard work put in by some of the teachers, but there are limitations that impact my child’s learning experience. Sometimes, my child struggles to grasp certain concepts, and I worry that my child may lag behind,” he said.
J Ruban was even more critical of the education system. “From overcrowded classrooms to outdated teaching methods, I feel like my child’s potential is being stifled,” he said.
He did not blame this solely on the teachers, saying they are likely often overwhelmed by their workload and unable to meet the individual learning needs of their students.
As such, he said, this makes tuition centres a necessity to ensure his child’s academic success.
Janet Tan differed, saying the Malaysian education system, “like any other system”, has its strengths and weaknesses.
While she also sends her daughter for tuition, she said this was more about providing the best support and resources for her to excel academically, rather than in response to perceived deficiencies in the school system.
“While I respect the efforts of the teachers, I feel that tuition centres offer a more tailored approach to learning for my child,” she said.