Are license plates really necessary?
Gone are the days when dedicated teachers taught in the classroom and that was enough for students to prepare for their exams. If a child had doubts, the teacher spent more time clarifying those doubts at school or at home.
My husband often talks about his teacher. The teacher recognized my husband as an extra smart kid when he was just in elementary school. She began to give him additional training and provided him with good books to read. Subsequently, the teacher arranged for him to obtain a scholarship for higher studies from the Government. Such was the dedication of the teachers of those days.
As a child is admitted to a school these days, parents begin to debate whether or not to send the child to pay tuition. After each test result, this problem arises. With promises of more effort from the child and a parent’s resolution to spend at least two hours every day with the child reviewing his class work and her homework, the matter of tuition is shelved.
When both parents are employed, a good chunk of the money goes to their child’s tuition teacher. Parents feel like they can’t focus on their children’s education after a tiring day at the office.
An educated mother who chooses to stay at home for the sake of the children tries to assume the role of teacher. But her classes end in arguments and tears and “You don’t know anything!” child’s comments and finally the mother gives up.
Even a teacher who can handle a class of 50 today is prone to emotional blackmail from his smart children when it comes to studies. They get promises of expensive gifts from their parents, and they get them without fulfilling the promise of good grades themselves. And they also have the cake and eat it!
When the parents finally realize that their own children are taking them for a ride, the search for a tutor begins. Sometimes it is the other way around. At the parent-teacher conference, the teacher’s suggestion that the child needs help leads the parents to the door of the registration classes. The importance of ranks and the embarrassment of parents flaunting their children’s ranks at social gatherings push parents of average children into the race for ranks. And to reach ranks, tutors are sought.
Parents feel that tutors can do miracles for their child to get the highest grades. They feel that academic intelligence can be bought. Even when the child scores very well and does not need any additional training, he or she is forced to pay tuition just to move up a few ranks.
REGISTRATION NEEDED – WHEN?
Due to overly ambitious parents and sometimes a genuine need for additional training in subjects students are weak in, tuition centers are mushrooming in every neighborhood.
Tuition centers have become alternative schools. There are teachers who work in schools just to get students for tuition. Their tuition income is much more than what they earn at school. Many schools discourage their teachers from taking tuition but then they should pay better salaries for teachers to work hard. Tutorials are again like schools and different teachers handle different topics. Just that it’s after school hours or before. And then there are home tutors who charge for extra tuition.
It is very sad to see tired children coming home after school with bags over their shoulders late at night, when they should be playing happily. Some schools hold students after school hours and force them to take lessons. The need to get good grades, get admitted to good universities, and eventually get a well-paying job is pushing kids into the vicious cycle of tuition fees and losing their precious childhood. The license plate business is becoming an unofficial industry. It should be assessed how it affects the credibility of schools and qualified teachers.
Parents, with the cooperation of the subject teacher, must judge whether there is a genuine need for a child to receive instruction. There are many learning difficulties and disabilities that a child may have that the parent or teacher may not be aware of. They may be problems with vision, hearing, or understanding. An example of a learning disability is dyslexia, in which the child can write the mirror image of letters. Sometimes it can be emotional problems that block the learning process. Consultation and evaluation by a child psychiatrist can identify the problem. The remedial sessions will ensure that the child is on a par with the average student.
NEED FOR AN EFFICIENT TEACHER
Sending the child to tuition classes cannot solve these problems. Sometimes the problem can lie with a particular teacher who is not well qualified or whose teaching style is not suitable for their students. In such a case, parents should compare notes with others and then approach the school authorities.
When parents realize that the child really needs classes, they should thoroughly investigate the teacher’s credentials. The teacher must be qualified, experienced, genuinely interested in teaching, and patient. He or she must have a thorough knowledge of the subject. The tutor must also be able to identify the child’s difficulties and resolve them. Parents need to be aware of what is going on in enrollment. Ask your child every day about what she has studied in the tuition class. The child must study and review even with enrollment.
Don’t run after school to teachers to pay tuition, thinking they’ll help your child in school or know the curriculum better. Some money-conscious teachers may manipulate their students’ results so that parents don’t question them about poor results.
There are well-qualified housewives who do not take jobs for family reasons. These ladies can be approached to give private lessons to children. In addition, there may be very intelligent but poor older students who need money for their university studies. Such students may accept tutoring if they have teaching skills.
Parents should not have unrealistic expectations of guardians. They must be patient to wait for the results. They can’t demand good results just because they’re spending money on tuition. Only with the moral support of the parents and the effort of the student, the registrations will give good results.