What are the advantages and disadvantages of having enrichment classes?

Written by: Aurora Francoise Tan be Gem (Sec 2G, 2023)

Enrichment classes, or rather, tuition, have been controversial among parents. Some believe that it is an unnecessary element, while others never miss an opportunity to enrol their children. Tuition can drastically change a child’s education, be it for the better or for the worse. To sum it up, a tuition teacher covers the topics taught in school, and renders extra help to students who want to be ahead, or for those who are struggling.

The first advantage of tuition is simple and clear cut – to learn more. Tuition teachers go through topics that are taught in school. This benefits a child as they may have missed out on lessons in school, or they may not have entirely understood the topic. Tuition teachers can also give a child extra information and details of the topic, further enhancing the child’s knowledge. Not only that, the child is given extra homework. This may not seem favourable to the child, but it inevitably helps the child as the extra revision prepares the child for their examinations.

The next advantage is personalised learning. In school, some teachers only teach a topic and call it a day. Even if a child seeks extra help from the teacher, it is often inconvenient to stay back after school and meet the teacher at a certain timing. Not to mention, teachers also have other classes to handle. However,

tuition teachers are more available and ready to help, A simple text message to the tuition teacher can get you all the answers you need. After all, one is more likely to receive help in an enrichment class rather than in school.

Lastly, a child is able to spend their time more wisely when they are enrolled into enrichment cases. A child is subjected to spend one to three hours attending enrichment classes, and they will eventually benefit from them. Whereas, compared to a child who spends their entire weekend playing instead of studying. Enrichment classes make sure a child has a schedule, and the child will spend at least a few hours a week studying. On the contrary, one without enrichment classes can go up to an entire week without any revision!

Moving on to the disadvantages, the most common one would be the enrichment fees! Parents who prioritise their child’s education can spend up to a thousand monthly. Some parents deem this as floundering their money, while others would readily do so. Overall, it is better for a child to practise good studying habits, so there is no need to spend money on something that can be achieved alone.

The next disadvantage is that the child might rely too much on the enrichment classes. Since everything taught in class is also taught in enrichment classes, a child might just stop participating in class activities. They may adopt a mindset that they do not need to Iisten in class since they have their enrichment classes. While this may not affect the child, it can affect the rest of the students in school. Since the child does not need to pay attention in class, they may disrupt or distract other students from learning.

Overall, the ups and downs of enrichment classes are all due to the maturity of a child. If a child does not have a persevering mentality, they would not strive to learn and achieve more. If a child wants to do better, they should work hard for it. After all, it is up to the parent to decide the most suitable decision for their child.