Tuition, Getting A's and self study

Note: Long entry on my thoughts. Don't fret or come complaining to me.

Back in my study days, I hardly heard that tuition was a requirement to get As. Nowadays, tuition centers are blooming in every state. Children no longer have their good time to play, run and cycle around the neighborhood like I did in my childhood days. Yes, children today still do that but in a more restricted area like playing PS2 in their own room, going to sport center to play their games or very most likely in the tuition centers. Today’s kid is totally than yesterday’s kid and many issues were popping out in the newspaper lately regarding Malaysia’s education.

Students who are getting as many A’s as possible and each year we noticed the number of As are growing from 7As to 15As. Does A’s really matter? Back in those days, when one obtains 6A’s was seriously really big deal because that person really studies hard for it. What if? Yes, what if one study hard and still get less than that 15A’s? What should the student do? Regret over it? I believe the numbers As only represent a certain merit in a student’s overall performance. Yes, you may get a lot of attention from the public sector particularly the media sector but when it comes to working these A’s does not matter anymore. Exams as far as to the extent to obtain a degree are just a stepping stone to working life.

My story, I never had a great achievement like those in the newspaper in my PMR years and tuition center was just a way to pass my time. At the end of PMR, I totally avoided tuition centers because I just could not concentrate. There were too many distractions and it had not helped me to improve my results. In the end, I decided to attend tuition classes based on my weakest subject. Gradually after some time in my mid form four, I had not attended tuition classes. So I was on my own towards my SPM, with a few advices from school teachers and a mentor, then my final years in the university.

Student should not rely too much on tuition center. You should rely on your own self to learn about one subject. In your later years, your skill to do research will be heavily use in your university years and working too. By that time, you will not be able to find any tuition to help you with your work and your university’s final year projects. Tuition center, in my opinion, has injected more spoon feeding viruses into the mind of already infected students. Getting extra notes or extra work should be on the responsibility of the student. Student should have the initiative to look for extra notes and practices. Tuition center should only serve as a place to give advice only. The work to get extra notes should still fall onto the student’s shoulder.

Teachers are not left out and their responsibility should not just fell onto the tuition center alone to gain profit (extra pocket money). They have an important role to play in the Malaysian education system. Please knock my head if this is not logical. A teacher shouldn’t abandon their role in the school. Otherwise, why waste one time in the school where you can teach better in tuition centers? Tell me, what is the difference between a school class and tuition class? Aren’t they the same? Both of these structures have a teacher to teach and give advice. There still have the big boards to write on. Those attending both of this are students. Read my lips, students my dear readers. Therefore, what make them so different? The notes? The material being teach is different? Else, we can all abolish the school and just setup tuition center all over in Malaysia. What makes the education system in Malaysia so wrong that student have to go to tuition center? I do not think so. I am also a student myself. I do not think that the Malaysian education is lacking. Instead, they need to improve their teacher’s mind and ways of teaching so student can be confident in their studies.


If tuition center is different from the school then it means the teaching is advance, teacher is more caring and there is more opportunity for discussion. Now let’s stop at this point and ask this question yourself, “Don’t the school teachers do this in their own class room?” If you say yes then it means student should not be attending tuition classes and everything is adequately provided in the classroom. If you say no then it means the class is big, a lot of distraction; teacher couldn’t care less, everyone is left on their own; notes and homework are given, but not taken seriously; everybody goes to tuition, its better. I rest my case. Unfortunately, my dear readers I beg to differ. Not all things subject to academic are resolving by attending tuition centers. One day, students will need to get themselves off the habit of spoon feeding and go do more study on their own. It is better for the young ones to study without spoon feeding and we will definitely see more intellectual Malaysians. Sadly, we still see spoon feeding in the university.

I am not saying tuition center is bad but I am trying to point out that it should not be rely by students so much. People should look up to school as their point of academic center to educate their children. Schools regardless if it is private or public should be more united to improve their standard and facility (teaching) to students. I just do not see why students should attend tuition centers so much. I also do not see why tuition centers should get so popular among our academic achievers. Yes, please throw the tuition centers out into the garbage bin, set the student free into the play ground, improve the teacher’s attitude and mind in the school, tell students they should not think A’s so much because there are many things that students need to understand and to learn. Why not? You fear that students without tuition centers will fail terribly and get into nasty things. Tell me my good readers, I think today’s younger generation are smarter but with a little tuning in their head I bet they could come out something more positive than us today. Things today that we see just could not be satisfy and justify with A’s and attending tuition classes.

Sincerely, how many A’s does a student determine obtain? As the years go on the number of A’s increases, how many hours of study does one really need to study to obtain that goal?

Is sky the limit… look ma, I got 20 A’s!