The tutor, Daisy Pious, 40, recommended an alleged Ministry of Education-approved programme to secure the 11-year-old a place in a secondary school.She also claimed to be a registered tutor with the MOE… …She also claimed that a ‘written agreement’ would also be issued by MOE once she had completed tutoring him.

From my 10 years of experience in the education industry, there are many ‘marketing’ gimmicks that some learning centres used to paint a false impression that their teachers are NIE-trained (which might not be true in all cases). Why is that so? I have many parents calling us to enquire about our programmes and one of the favourite questions asked is “Are you a school teacher?” It is of no surprise that parents want the best for their children and school teachers are perceived as a symbol of credibility and experience (most of them).

It is ironic as I always wonder since their child is already taught by the school teacher in school and if their child is not doing as well as they should, why get another school teacher? Please note that I ain’t saying that school teachers aren’t good nor are they totally responsible for the learning outcome of the students. In my study life, I have met several of them who are really committed to and concerned with the success of their students. They have inspired and encouraged many of my friends and me. I am grateful to them for their hard work. Good teachers are hard to come by.

As mentioned early, terms like “school teachers”, “MOE registered teachers“,”MOE certified teachers” are very commonly mis-used nowadays especially so in this economic downturn with tuition business reporting a decline in students’ intake. I personally feel that it is my responsibility as an educator to inform and clarify many misconceptions that parents and students have.

Myth #1:

• “School teachers”, “MOE registered teachers“,”MOE certified teachers“  do not necessarily mean that they are NIE-trained!

Refer to this article written by Ken Tai Meng

All school teachers have to undergo training in NIE before they are formally teaching in schools in Singapore. And for teachers in private schools (inclusive of learning centres, tuition centres), they can registered online with MOE. So many a times, after the private schools registered their businesses, their teachers, most of them would claim that their teachers are MOE-registered which is indeed true. But do note that these teachers might not be NIE-trained which most parents thought of or rather assume them to have come from schools.

Under registration of teachers in MOE website, it is stated clearly that “Private school teachers should possess educational qualifications beyond the levels the private school has proposed for them to teach”

FAQ: What are the pre-requisites of private school teachers? (Under school registration notes)

This depends on the subject(s) and level(s) the teachers are proposed to teach. In general, applicants should have at least 3 GCE ‘O’ level credits or other relevant qualifications beyond the levels they are proposed to teach. Their qualifications and knowledge should be related to the subject areas to be taught. Teachers must be able to provide documentary evidence of their qualifications, work experience, etc, to support their applications. If the documents are in a language other than English, teachers are required to have them translated into English by a notary public or a registered translator.

Myth #2:

• MOE-approved tuition centres do not in any way mean that the centres, courses, programmes and teachers are endorsed by MOE

From MOE website: Registration by MOE does not in any way represent an endorsement or accreditation of the quality of the courses offered. Prospective students of private schools are advised to find out more about the private school, the quality of the courses and the background of the local organisation that facilitates the delivery of the courses before making a decision to enrol in the course of study. Students should also exercise caution in reading and understanding the terms of contract between them and the private school, seeking clarification if need be before enrolling in the course of study.

If you were to look at what it takes to register a private school, these are the documents required:

Approved floor plan by the Fire Safety and Shelter Department (FSSD)
Fire Safety Certificate & Notice of Approval
Grant of Written Permission from URA / HDB
ACRA printout
Committee of Management Forms
Appointment Note (for sole-proprietor/partnership/LLP) or Directors’ Resolution (for company) to appoint the members of the Committee of Management
Course Registration Forms
Teacher Registration Forms
School Constitution
Memorandum & Articles of Association of Company

What Parents & Students should do

1. They have to personally talk to the teachers and find out from their children how they are learning during lessons. Frequent communication between learning centres and parents are extrememly essential. This is what we emphasize as well. We provide verbal or email feedback to our parents to keep them informed of the observations and progress of their child so that they can work hand in hand with you to ensure the success of their child. On top of that, we also gather comments from parents and students so that we can constantly improve our teaching methodology and approaches.
2. Put your child only in learning centres where you trust them to be in good hands due to the transparent and credible teaching approach and open communication instead of just solely relying on the learning centres’ marketing gimmick or advertisement. Word of mouth recommendation can be useful but parents and students must personally find out more on their own too.

Update: Parents partly to blame. Follow up article from CASE & MOE

Personally, I think with so many choices available, it is certainly not easy for students and parents to find one which will match their expectations.

I met up with a parent recently whom in fact shared with me on the centre she has enrolled her girl with. I was shocked to find out that the class has a total of 7 students of DIFFERENT levels (eg, there is a mixture of Sec 1 to Sec 4s) all taken part by a tutor. Moreover, the fees charged by this tutor is more than the average price of a group class. Well, this parent mentions that she is testing it out and sees how her girl progresses.

In my personal opinion, the following factors are important for the selection of the right tutor/coach for your learning needs:

#1:Effectiveness of tutor/coach

Having said this, I think to save the time of parents and students, I personally like the fact that there should be trial lesson provided especially for Individual Tuition Coaching sessions.
This is especially important for O Level students as time is crucial and precious.Moreover, youths of this age would definitely like to have more say in choosing their tutors. Afterall, they are the ones who are interacting with the tutors most of the time. Trial lesson gives the student and parents sufficient time for the interaction with the tutor. Able to connect and communicate effectively with the student and parents are extrememly important!

#2:Track Record of previous students.

Please note the results of the students before joining the tutor/coach. Many a times, I saw the great end results produced by the students but didn’t see what were the improvements made.
For example, if a student is able to breakthrough from F9 to a B within a few months. I would consider the tutor teaching methodology be to effective & beneficial.
I was told that some learning centres only take in students of certain grades (usually good grades) and reject those who did not meet their grade expectations.
I always wonder if this is the case, what is the true purposing for tuition/coaching? I need extra help only if I face a certain level of challenge otherwise if I can cope, I won’t be seeking tuition/coaching.

#3: Academic Qualifications of tutor/coach

With my several years of interaction with parents, it seems like parents like school teachers. This is rather ironic, as if your child is not able to learn well from school perhaps due to a long list of reasons, would another school teacher be different? Well, I am not saying that school teachers aren’t good. Some of them are in fact very experienced and knowledgeable in syllabus and teaching methodology. But once again, I strongly emphasize on the connection and rapport established between the teacher and student.

I certainly hope I have provided some useful tips for both students and parents with the selection of a right tutor/coach for your learning needs.

“Good Teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more” – Bob Talbert