Tuition centres say they advertise ethically, welcome potential regulation

“Start building your child’s PSLE English foundation now, or worry when it’s too late,” urged one tuition agency with branches in Bukit Timah and Serangoon.

“Improve two grades in just 12 weeks!” said another chain, which focuses on junior college history.

These are some of the promotional messaging used by tuition centres in Singapore, which have come under greater scrutiny recently after the Ministry of Education (MOE) said it was looking at ways to discourage undesirable advertising by the industry.

On Feb 5, Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa told Parliament that he witnessed two people advertising tuition programmes outside a primary school in his constituency on Jan 2, the first day of school.

Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang replied that MOE had observed some tuition centres using advertising tactics that appealed to parents’ anxieties and fear of missing out, and that it was studying how to discourage such practices.

In a subsequent media interview, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing called out some “black sheep” within the industry for using fear-based tactics, and for pre-selecting better students and then claiming credit for their academic achievements.

Amid criticism of unethical marketing tactics, ST reached out to 21 tuition centres to ask about their marketing practices, and whether they had plans to reassess their promotional methods.

Five responded, with all saying that their current advertising practices were within acceptable bounds, and that they would not be affected should guidelines be introduced.

MOE and the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore confirmed to ST that they had met in January to discuss possible options to discourage such practices in the tuition industry, which could include sector-specific advertising guidelines.

Genius Plus Academy co-founder Wong Jing Yong said that based on the two issues flagged by Mr Chan, it would be largely status quo for the tuition chain’s advertising strategies.

It has four centres that offer classes for primary school science, and mathematics at the primary, secondary and junior college (JC) levels.

He said: “We have always been very mindful of our marketing messages. Even though we hire a marketing agency, we have given them very clear directions... that they should adhere to our philosophy of offering help to every child who needs it and avoiding fearmongering.”

Mr Wong said it does not advertise to the lower primary levels, though it does offer such classes. And despite having received many inquiries from parents about classes for Olympiads and preparatory classes for the Gifted Education Programme, he does not want to offer such sessions.

“We do not pick and choose who we admit to the centre. We see it as our duty to help every student who comes to us to the best of our efforts, resources permitting,” he said.

Mr Sean Chua, co-founder of Winners Education Centre – a tuition centre in Bishan that runs chemistry classes for upper secondary and JC students – thinks it is a good move for MOE to work with the advertising industry to provide guidelines for tuition centre marketing.

He said: “It will provide parents with more clarity and transparency in deciding the right centres suitable for their child.”

That being said, he added: “It won’t impact much of our advertising strategies, since we have always communicated in a clear, ethical and responsible way.”

His centre mostly relies on “organic” reviews that come from parents and students after positive experiences.

Ms May Choong, centre manager at EduFirst Learning Centre, said her company does not use fear-based tactics or misleading claims in its advertisements.

The chain, which has 24 branches that offer tuition from nursery to Secondary 5 in subjects such as English language and mathematics, will adhere fully to the new guidelines if they are introduced, she said.

“In the meantime, the information on our website remains accurate and transparent, providing clear details about the services we offer.”

Highlighting the need for tuition to succeed

Dr Wong Hwei Ming from the National Institute of Education (NIE) told ST that fear-based advertising can contribute to increased stress and anxiety among students and parents.

This further perpetuates the vicious circle of academic pressure, over-reliance on tuition and educational inequality.

She added that aggressive advertising can also widen the gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, as it exacerbates the perception that tuition is crucial for success.

Dr Wong, assistant centre director at NIE’s Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice, said tuition centres employ a range of advertising and recruitment strategies, including highlighting success stories through student testimonials. Some also include photos of students from top schools in their school uniforms.

Many centres emphasise the credentials and experience of their tutors, especially if they are NIE-trained or former MOE teachers.

They may also offer trial classes and discounts to attract new students, and even promise improved grades. 

Winners Education Centre’s Mr Chua said some tuition centres claim their students get more distinctions compared with the national average.

“That’s misleading since nobody knows how they get that data in the first place. This is not shared by MOE or any school,” he said, adding that parents should always check, instead of relying solely on what they see in ads.

Some centres state that they align their curricula to complement or enhance the MOE curriculum, and offer approaches such as one-to-one tutoring, online tutoring systems, or individualised learning packages.

To further pressure parents, some create a sense of urgency by saying that their classes are filling up fast.

The good and bad sides of tuition

Still, tuition can be helpful in a number of ways, said Dr Wong, providing support to students who are struggling with specific subjects or concepts, reinforcing classroom learning and providing enrichment for high-achieving students.

At Genius Plus Academy, Mr Wong said about 80 per cent of its students are “struggling” with poor grades in school or internal assessments.

He added: “Only about 20 per cent of our students are already scoring As and Bs when they join us.”

This is comparable to the Secondary 4 students at Winners Education Centre, who make up about 40 per cent of its entire enrolment. Mr Chua said 80 per cent of them belong in the “struggling” category, while the rest are maintaining their A and B grades.

Associate Professor Jason Tan from NIE said that while tuition centres have the right to advertise their services, just like other businesses, it is important to consider that most of the primary consumers are underage individuals.

“Their parents have the right, as paying consumers, to make well-informed choices based on honest and accurate advertising,” he said.

Prof Tan added that besides targeting tuition advertising, it is also important to look into tutor qualifications.

“Right now, we don’t know how many tutors out there, especially among the freelancers, have either the academic or the teaching qualifications that mainstream school teachers need to have.”

Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore’s education landscape.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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