SINGAPORE: Three in four parents believe tuition outside school is necessary for their children to do well, according to a new survey released on Nov 9. Families spent a median of $600 a month per child on such extra classes.
Most parents, 72 per cent, said they wanted to put less academic pressure on their children but feared they would lose out in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
Another 77 per cent said they would ease the pressure if their children were guaranteed a place in secondary school through a system that made the PSLE optional.
The findings, released by education advocacy group EveryChild.SG, showed that most respondents had confidence in Singapore's education system but were concerned about academic competition and tuition costs.
The survey, conducted by market research firm NielsenIQ mainly between January and February, polled 4,007 Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
They comprised 2,002 parents aged between 25 and 65 whose children are in, or had attended in the previous five years, a local primary school, and 2,005 young adults aged between 18 and 30 who had attended local primary schools.
EveryChild.SG, a non-profit advocacy group founded in 2023 by former civil servant Pooja Bhandari, has called for education reforms to support children's holistic development.
Its previous reports include a 2025 study on support for children with special educational needs.
The latest survey was conducted mainly online and administered in English, Chinese and Malay. The sample broadly reflected national demographics by race, gender and housing type, Bhandari said.
It found that tuition spending varied across income groups.
Households earning $5,000 a month or less spent a median of $300 monthly per primary school child, while families earning between $5,000 and $15,000 spent $600.
Those earning between $15,000 and $20,000 a month spent $1,000 per primary school child.
A separate Institute of Policy Studies study released in September found that parents spent a median of $500 a month on tuition. The study, which examined parents' attitudes towards and perceptions of the education system, found that more parents were stressed about their children's future compared with 2016.
Most respondents in EveryChild.SG's survey had a positive view of Singapore's primary schools.
Eight in 10 agreed that Singapore's primary education system was among the best compared with those in other developed countries.
About 85 per cent also felt positively about the school environment, including whether pupils felt emotionally safe and respected by teachers.
"Singapore has built an education system that is widely admired for its academic achievements. The challenge now is to build on these strengths while addressing the pressures and inequalities that have emerged alongside them," Bhandari said.
Assistant Professor Kwan Jin Yao of the University of Delaware in the United States said the findings reflected a familiar tension: while Singapore's education system prepares students well for further studies and employment, it also creates stress for families seeking the best opportunities for their children.
Kwan, whose research focuses on youth development, poverty and inequality, was among the academics who reviewed the report.
He said a key research gap was the lack of perspectives from current students, which could shed light on the sources of academic stress and how children perceive the PSLE.
The survey found that 80 per cent of respondents believed a "through-train" system would make learning more enjoyable, while 79 per cent felt it would reduce examination pressure. The report noted that these findings suggested parents were open to structural changes.
EveryChild.SG has previously proposed such a system, under which 80 to 90 per cent of pupils would progress directly to an associated secondary school without taking the PSLE, while those seeking places in selective schools could still opt to sit the examination.
About 66 per cent of respondents felt that classes were too large for teachers to give each child sufficient attention, while 73 per cent of parents believed large class sizes contributed to the need for tuition.
Kwan described the PSLE as an "imperfect but fairly useful sorting mechanism".
Scrapping it might not end academic competition, he said. Instead, pressure could shift to Primary 1 registration or subsequent national examinations, which could become even more "high stakes".
"Overall, there is a collective-action problem when parents choose not to opt out if they worry that their children may be disadvantaged," he said. - Straits Times/ANN
