Essay 023 (Private Tuition)

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some parents believe that extra private lessons outside school hours, where students work alone with a teacher, can help them do better at school.  Others disagree.

Discuss both the views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Many parents believe that the crowded environment in regular classrooms can have a negative impact on the academic performance of students.  Hence they send them to private tuitions where the teacher can individually help them to study their lessons more effectively and perform better at school.  However, others believe that private lessons outside school hours are burdensome to children and it can have a negative influence on their academic development.

Because of the constrains of time, the size of the syllabus and the number of students, school teachers may not be able to cater to the individual needs of all children who have different intellectual capacities.  For instance, in regular classrooms, weaker students find it hard to grasp the formulas of mathematics and science, which makes these subjects difficult for them.  Whereas, the teacher at a private tuition follows the pace of the student and makes sure that he is thorough with the lessons.  This means that the teacher has sufficient time to repeat the lessons in case the student does not understand it, the first time.   This gives greater confidence to such students and helps them to get superior grades in examinations.

On the other hand, private lessons outside school hours is considered, by many parents, as an intrusion into the time that children should engage in sports or other extracurricular activities.  They believe that students are already stressed out after regular school hours and should be given time to relax, instead of taxing them again with more lessons.  If they are forced into private tuitions they may develop a negative attitude toward studies, which would have detrimental effect on their academic performance.  Moreover, private lessons outside school hours is very expensive and many parents would not be able to afford it.

After considering the positive and negative aspects of private tuitions, I  suggest that intellectually weak students should get assistance form a private teacher, who would help them to perform better in school. But, on regular school days students should not be burdened with extra private lessons and the best way to do it is, to find a few hours during weekends.  Although it may be financially burdensome for many parents, intellectually weak students would greatly benefit from private tuitions. 

In conclusion, despite certain drawbacks, private tuition has enormous benefits for students, to perform well in their academics.