PARENTS have started enrolling their children for tuition classes next year even before the end of this year’s school term.
Pusat Tuisyen Sri Semangat principal Cheow Kher Sin said enquiries had been pouring in, especially on Bahasa Malaysia classes for primary pupils, since last month.
“Parents seem to be extremely anxious nowadays.
“I think it is due to the new Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR) syllabus that is being introduced,” said Cheow, whose centre is on Persiaran Greenhill, Ipoh.
Under the new syllabus, pupils no longer need to sit for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) when they reach Year Six.
The last batch of students sitting for the exams will be in 2016 as the KSSR, which adopts the School-Based Assessment, seeks to realign the education system from one that focuses largely on academic excellence to a more holistic assessment.
Cheow said based on the feedback she had received from parents, they were worried and did not know what to expect from the new syllabus.
“Parents with children studying in national type schools and those whose children tend to be more book smart than street smart are especially concerned,” she added.
Pusat Tuisyen Sinar Permai principal W.L. Lee said her centre in Taman Ipoh Permai only gave tuition on the Bahasa Malaysia subject to primary pupils from national type schools.
“The teachers at our centre will teach Bahasa Malaysia with explanation in Mandarin to help pupils understand the subject better.
“I believe centres offering classes such as these are very few while we have limited spaces to offer.
“Hence, our classes for next year are already fully booked,” she said, adding that some were even willing to wait in case there were vacancies by putting their names on a waiting list.
According to Lee, her pupils were made up of existing ones as well as their younger siblings.
“And because of that, we take in very few pupils who are new,” she said.
Pusat Tuisyen Prestasi Maju principal K.W. Yap said the majority of those who had signed up for next year’s classes were existing students.
“The trend is about the same each year.
“There is no such thing as classes being fully booked although there will be sudden enquiries when it is nearing the major examinations,” he said.
According to Yap, he did not favour taking in students at the last minute when their examinations were just round the corner.
“These are usually students who find that they can’t cope.
“So how then can they expect to learn an entire year’s syllabus in just one month?
“Most of the time, I will just reject these students because there is nothing much I can do for them and just in case they start blaming me if they do not do well,” said Yap whose tuition centre, which teaches primary and secondary students, was established almost nine years ago.
Likewise at Institut Angkasa, many of those who had signed up for classes next year are existing students.
“We get new students by word of mouth, mostly through introduction by parents of our existing students,” said teacher Alex Wong.
