1st August 2018 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A mum in Australia has told how she spent more than $2000 on private tuition so that her 4 year old was ready for school. Heeral Khan said she took extra measures to ensure that her son, Zen, was ahead of the class before he even entered the school gates. Heeral said “we started when he turned four because at that age, they absorb so much”. Zen is now in his second year of primary school and sees his tutor, Emma, for an hour each week at a cost of $82.
Heeral thinks that the nature of classroom learning is hectic, and that is the reason she has sought extra help. She also doesn’t expect instant results, and says that a tutor should be judged over 12 months. She has a tutor for both Zen and his older sister Della, and the plan is for the tuition to fully show its benefit in high school because the foundations will have been laid.
Emma Makai is a teacher at a preparatory school in Sydney, and she says that the demand for tuition before students join school when they’re 6 has risen in the last 3 years. She thinks that parents are receiving more pressure from schools, many of which have entrance tests. Even in schools without the tests, Emma says that parents are keen for their children to have the tools to learn and be confident.
Primary school teacher Demi Hilton understands why private tuition for 4 and 5 year olds is becoming more popular, but she says that the child has to be happy. “If the child has a love for it, then it’s great, but if they’d much prefer to be outdoors, I feel it’s more important to let them do that instead.” Demi added that she doesn’t believe children have to do anything before they get to school, and that parents can make a huge difference by reading to their children regularly and asking questions while doing so.