ARCH CENTRE 1991 ARC HIV 90545 10FIC Lib 610
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o() EXTRA-SCHOOL INSTRUCTION, SOCIAL EQUITY AND EDUCATIONAL QUALITY T. Marimuthu Jasbir Sarjit Singh Khairiah Ahmad Lim Hong Kuan Hena Mukherjee Safiah Osman T. ChelliahJagdish Raj Sharma Noorshah Mohd. Salleh Leonard Yong Lim Teik LeongS. Sukumaran Thong Lay Kim Wahab Jamaluddin REPORT PREPARED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE 1991 ARC HIV 90545 10FIC Lib 610. Lo":"; EXTRA-SCHOOL INSTRUCTION, SOCIAL EQUITY AND EDUCATIONAL QUALITY Professor Dr. T. Marimuthu (Project Director) Professor Dr. Jasbir Sarjit Singh Associate Professor Khairiah Ahmad Associate Professor Dr. Lim Hong Kuan Associate Professor Dr. Safiah Osman_ Associate Professor Dr. Hena Mukherjee Associate Professor Dr. T. Chelliah Dr. Jagdish Raj Sharma Ms. Noorshah Mohd. Salleh Dr. Leonard Yong Mr. Lim Teik Leong Mr. S. Sukumaran Ms. Thong Lay Kim Mr. Wahab Jamaluddin (Ministry of Education) A REPORT PREPARED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA 1991 CONTENT Page Preface vi Acknowledgements viii CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Definition and scope 1 1.2 Statement of the research problem . 8 1.3 Who are the private tutors 12 1.4 Tuition class size 12 1.5 Selection of the sample 13 1.6 School as a sampling unit 16 CHAPTER II : CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDENT SAMPLE 17 2.1 Background 17 2.2 Sex and ethnicity 17 2.3 Education and occupation 20 2.4 Household income and family size 23 2.5 Incidence of tuition-taking by the total sample 24 2.6 Conclusion 35 CHAPTER III : THE PRIVATE TUITION INDUSTRY 37 3.1 The organization of tuition 38 3.2 Commencement and span of tuition 44 3.3 The tutors 48 3.4 The scope of tuition 58 3.5 Tutoring strategies 62 lii Page 3.6 Summary and discussion 68 a. Financial aspect of private tuition 72 b. TUition fees 72 c. Non-school subjects 76 3.7Conclusion 76 CHAPTER IV : PERCEPTIONS OF TUITION BY STUDENTS AND PARENTS 78 4.1 Attitude towards tuition 81 4.2 Perceptions of the school system and tuition 85 4.3Tuition and life in school 86 4.4 Summary and discussion 88 a. Attitude of parents towards tuition 89 b. Opinions of parents of tuition takers and non tuition takers . 92 c. Opinions of parents according to race 95 d. Opinions of parents according to SES 97 e. Opinions of parents according to state 98 f. Opinion of parents according to relationship 100 4.5 Conclusion 101 CHAPTER V : THE EFFECTS OF PRIVATE TUITION 112 Student perspective 5.1 Effects of private tuition on academic achievement 113 5.2 Effects of private tuition on teaching - learning process 122 5.3 Effects of private tuition on personal/ social/family life 125 5.4 Effects of private tuition on health .. 128 5.5 Effects of private tuition on leisure . 130 iv Page 5.6 Effects of private tuition as perceived by students at three different achievement levels 134 5.7 Parental perspective 139 5.8 Summary and conclusions 149 - CHAPTER VI : AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF A TUITION CENTRE 153 6.1 Introduction 153 6.2 A brief history of the centre 154 6.3 Location 156 6.4 Administration 157 6.5 Notes division 157 6.6 Progressive test 158 6.7 Guarantee of success 158 6.8 Discipline 159 6.9 The student enrolment 160 6.10 Type of students who take private tuition 163 6.11 The reasons for taking tuition 165 Teachers 165 Facilities 168 Notes 169 Mathod and approach 171 Hone 173 The individual 175 6.12 How they came to take tuition at the centre 178 6.13 Summary and conclusions 179 - CHAPTER VII : SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 182 7.1 Introduction 182 7.2 Reasons for taking tuition 182 Page 7.3Cost of tuition 183 7.4Utban-rural differences 184 7.5 TUtoring strategies 185 7.6 Tttors' qualifications and experiences 186 7.7 Effects of private tuition 187 7.8 Parental and student support for tuition 188 7.9 Ethnography of a tuition centre 189 7.10 Recommendations 190 ANNEXES 194 PREFACE This study on private tuition is an outgrowth of an international study which explored the relationship between examination domination and its effect on student values, learning orientation and occupational destination. The study on examination orientation found that a considerable percentage of youths attended private tuition in order to prepare themselves for the selective national school examinations. Experiences from other countries in the region, particularly those with the British colonial heritage, showed that the practice of private tuition was so prevalent that it could be considered as a "shadow educational system". A regional seminar on Private Tutoringwas held at the University of Malaya in April, 1986 hosted by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Department of Social Foundations, Faculty of Education. The outcome of the seminar was that a regional study on private tutoring be mounted and that the study will be supported by IDRC. This report is the result of the study on private tuition (or extra-school instruction)in Malaysia. The research team consisted of all members of the Departmentof Social Foundations and other interested members of the Faculty of Education. Since the formulation of this study in 1987,many members of the team have left the University on promotion and retirement. Some have taken on second careers. Inspite of these temporary set- backs, owing to the changing membership of the research team, the vii conduct of the research continued. A considerable amount of data were collected from a sample of 8432 students from seven statesin Malaysia on various aspects of private tuition. Basically this study focusses on the magnitude of private tuition,the causes and consequences. Although the data were collected through a sample survey, a qualitativeethnographic study of a private tuition centre was conducted by Dr. Lim Hong Kuan assisted by Mr. R. Supramaniam. This qualitative profile of a tuition centre enriches the quantitative data that have been analysed in this report. The findings of this study confirms many of our "commonsense" view of private tuition but it also illuminates and enriches several other aspects of the private tuition industry. The summary and conclusions are contained in the last chapter. The implications for policy for the attainment of equality of educational achievement has also been referred to. It is hoped that this study will provide the data for educational policy makers to upgrade the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. T. Marimuthu September, 1991 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research team would like to thank the International Development Research Centre for providing the funds to carry out this research. We would also like to take this opportunity to record our grateful thanks to Dr. Dean Nielsen, Dr. Somsak Boonyawiroj and Dr. Jingjai Hanchanlashof IDRC for their help, encouragement and understanding during the period of the study. The research team would also like to acknowledge the help rendered by the Ministry of Education, the Directors of Education of the various states, the headmasters, teachers, students and parents who participated in the survey. Thanks are also due to the number of research assistants who helped in the coding, analysis and the administration of the study, particularly Ms Chloe Thean, Ms Vanessa, Ms Grace Wi and Ms Christine Lim. Puan Habibah Tandan and Mrs Chia Wai Chin helped with the administrative work related to the study; Ms Goh Bee Gan has always helped out in the final compilation of the report; all their help is greatly appreciated. Last but not least we wish to thank the Dean of the Faculty of Education and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Malaya for their support in the completion of the study. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Definition and Scope Private tuition is a fast growing and increasingly important phenomenon in Malaysian education. Once a luxury, it is now considered a necessity amongst a large segment of the school population, at both the primary and the secondary school levels. Passing major examinations with flying colours beginning with the Standard Five Assessment Examination and now the Primary School Assessment Examination means being placed in a good secondary school; doing well at the Lower School Certificate Examination (Sijil Rendah Pelajaran) means being placed in the Science stream; and doing well at the Secondary School Certificate and Higher School Certificate Examination (Sijil PelajaranMalaysia and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia) provides the passport to a good university education. With this in mind, it is the aim of every parent to see that his child excels in his studies and therefore the demand and need for private tuition in order to acquire more knowledge so that he can prepare himself adequately for these public examinations. For the purpose of this study, private tuition is defined as "learning activities for the clientele of the formal school which takes place outside the regular school instruction program for a fee or as a community service". 2 Despite the perceived benefits of privatetuition for motivated individual participants, several major issues havesurfaced in recent years. The effectiveness of the formal school is beingquestioned. The strain on parental resources and the consequenterosion of the benefits of free education are important social concerns. The adverse effects of highly pressured private tutoring on the physical and psychological growth of students as well as on the quality of public education have become important educational issues. It is important, therefore, that the phenomenon of private tuition and its incidence and consequences be examined fullyin order to generate information that will inform policydecisions. The current status of private tuition in Malaysia is a reflection of the close connection between examination results and both educational and occupational destination.