Tutorial classes
A trend
or a need?
By Mimi Lok
Traditionally, students who attend private tutorial classes have been less competent academically. However, the economics teacher of a tutorial centre, Mr. Lee Wai-shing, said that nowadays bright students come instead of poor ones.
Some students strive for distinctions in their certificates, while others just hope to get a pass for subjects they are weak in. That is why so many students nowadays turn to tutorial centres.
Among all the tutorial subjects, English, economics and physics are the most popular. Others such as geography, chemistry and biology also attract lots of students.
The tutorial centre business is expanding, as many people see the potential in the market.
“Actually, students have no need to attend tutorial classes if they motivate themselves to study hard and pay attention in classes at schools,” said Miss M. Y. Cheung, a Form 6 class mistress.
However, most students claimed they turn to tutorial centres because their school teachers are not good enough.
“We have a new biology teacher this year. Yet, he does not know how to teach at all,” said Form 6 science student Amanda Ching.
A Year 1 university student, Miss Candy Yiu, said, “Our Form 6 economics teacher has been teaching for many years. However, she is very irresponsible, and she only teaches irrelevant things.”
Besides criticizing the teaching methods of school teachers, many students admitted that they just follow the trend of joining tutorial classes.
“Over 90 percent of my classmates go to tutorial classes. It seems you would lose out if you don’t go,” said a Form 7 economics student, Miss Stella Lai.
However, many students have a genuine need for guidance and help in their studies.
Mr. Leung Wai-hang, another Year 1 university student, said, “I attended English tutorial classes from Form 5 to Form 7. Since I studied science in a Chinese secondary school, my English is poor. I needed tutorial classes to help improve it.”
Recommendations from schoolmates affect how students choose tutorial centres. Most students just follow what others tell them, such as whether certain tutorial classes or tutors are good. This is especially true if many students scored distinctions after attending examination-oriented classes.
Mr. Lee said, “We don’t have to promote ourselves. Students who find our classes effective continue to come and recommend us to others.”
When asked about the effectiveness of examination-oriented classes, most students responded favourably. They especially praised the usefulness of the notes.
Said Miss Yiu: “Without those notes, I would definitely be doomed to failure.”
Mr. Leung agreed. “If I had not gone to tutorial classes, I probably wouldn’t have passed in English, thus having no chance to enter the university.”
Miss Lai also said that the several hundred dollars in tuition fees per month is worthwhile, although she always fell asleep during the classes.
“Attending tutorial classes makes me feel better psychologically,” said she.
However, a Form 6 student, Miss Clara Chan, quit after attending an English tutorial class for only two months.
She considered the class useless. She said, “It wasted my time and money because I only copied many things in lessons, but never did the homework and revisions afterwards.
“I prefer reading more English newspapers and novels instead of spending time and money to attend those classes,” she explained.
Said Miss A. Tsang, a Form 4 English teacher: “English needs to be polished by students themselves, rather than force-fed within a short period.”
However, another economics teacher, Mr. Patrick Yau, held a different view.
“Students are usually not self-motivated,” Mr. Yau explained. “Tutorial classes allow them to revise topics with good notes provided. This shares the burdens of school teachers as well.”
Mr. Lee of the tutorial centre said, “Our classes are actually very similar to traditional academic education, and they are complementary to day schools.”
He said school teachers have too many responsibilities other than teaching textbook materials. “We just focus on question analysis, so we can teach more systematically and clearly. This is what students are looking for in order to tackle public examinations.”
Clear and well elaborated notes, frequent and practical training, comprehensive and systematic approaches to teaching, and relevant materials for examinations are strategies which the tutorial centres used to attract students.
Some tutorial centres use past students’ brilliant results as promotions. They hang posters or distribute handbills on streets, stating the number of students who have got distinctions after attending their classes. Quite a number of students are attracted, but the validity of their claims is unknown.
As a matter of fact, registration and supervision of private tutorial centres is the same as that for all other schools under the Education Ordinance.
Said a spokesperson for the Information and Public Relations Section of the Education Department: “As long as these centres fulfil the requirements for registration, everything will be all right.”
There are annual inspections for all tutorial centres to check whether they run properly. If there is any complaint, the Education Supervisor of the district will handle the case.
