Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Myths to break and things to unlearn

CHENNAI: Tuitions or supplementary coaching are no longer confined to students in higher classes. Children barely four or five years old are increasingly being sent for tuitions.

S. Archana is a class II student of a matriculation school in T. Nagar. Every evening she goes for tuitions straight from school. By the time she returns home, it gets as late as 7 p.m. “She eats and falls asleep almost as soon as she comes home,” her mother S. Shenbagam says.

Though the tuition fees add to the family’s financial burden, her parents think tuitions are indispensable. “I can’t help her with her homework and I want her to do well,” says father R. Duraikannu, who works at a department store.

The trend is seen not just in middle class households, but also among those in the lower income group.

R. Mohanakumari, a domestic help, also sends her 5-year-old child for tuitions. “I haven’t studied much. I definitely need someone to monitor his performance,” she says. Her son goes to a government-aided school in her neighbourhood. After school, he attends tuition classes till 8 p.m.

“His teacher is very strict. My son can’t remember anything taught in school and is really scared of her. We have no other go,” she says.

However, educationists are not sure if tuitions actually add value to what the child learns in school. Senior educationist S. S. Rajagopalan says the tendency to send small children for tuitions is on the rise.

According to him, one of the main reasons for this is the teacher vacancies in schools that are yet to be filled. “Also, some teachers themselves take tuitions at school after school hours, or at their homes. Tuitions don’t really help children learn. The private tutors merely help children with their exercises given as homework,” he notes.

Besides being deprived of physical activity, children also get very tired when they come to school in the morning, he adds. “Expert committees have made practical recommendations about enhancing classroom learning. We should take them more seriously. The main reasons for children being sent for tuitions are loaded curriculum and badly written textbooks,” Prof. Rajagopalan notes.

Tuitions only reinforce the notion that a school-going child’s growth should be entirely cognitive, says K. Shanmugavelayutham, convener, Tamil Nadu Forum for Crèche and Childcare Services (TN-FORCES). “A child needs to grow not just academically, but also physically, mentally and emotionally. Any academic programme should only be within the school hours. Children need recreation and rest,” he says.

Citing the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Regulation Rules, 1974, he says schools should follow the prescribed code of conduct for teachers, which disallows them from taking tuitions.

“They may give additional attention to children who require support,” he adds.

Prof. Shanmugavelayutham also attributed this trend to the insecurity of parents. “Most of them think marks are all. It is sad to see LKG and UKG children being sent for tuitions because the parents are paranoid,” he says.

However, not all are. Some feel tuitions are a waste of money. S. Venkatachalapathy is clear that parents should not put undue pressure on children.

“My wife teaches my child who is in class II. That way, it won’t be too demanding. We only send her for music classes as she enjoys singing,” he says.

Savithri Vanchinathan, too, sees no point in tuitions. “Last year, I sent my 9-year –old for tuitions. But we didn’t really see drastic improvement. I devote some time every evening now and my child is a lot happier,” she says.

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