The trend among Pakistani students to attend after-school tuition centers has certainly escalated to a level of obsession. This pattern has also been witnessed among students in the U.K. This may be because of the fact that parents want the best out of their child and by sending children to attend extra tuition classes they certainly enable their children to attain extra knowledge that they might not have grabbed in their schools.
Private tutors earn a lot of money and according to a report the monthly per capita fee for individual tuition in urban area ranges from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 50,000, depending on the subjects, location and reputation of the tutor. It can also be said that conventional school teachers are also involved in teaching at evening tuition centers which not only affects their performance in schools but also leaves them tired up for evening tuition classes. In some cases school teachers have also been found guilty of attracting students to their after school classes (Tuition Centers) in order to make extra money.
If the trend of private tuitions is modernized and combined with some innovative ideas and practices it could well be the start of a new era of education. Bill Strickland, an American educationalist, proposed an alternative form of tuition system that combines conventional education with arts and crafts. His experience of teaching disadvantaged children proved successful as such kids felt over joyed when they studied with him personally as traditional schools in their localities repelled them.
The smooth availability of information and education through different sources such as Google and Wikipedia has caused a decrease in the need for classroom teaching. Students now show less interest in classroom lectures, as they already know that all study material is available on Internet or other alternate sources. The smart ones already know what the teacher normally covers and the students on the other side of the spectrum have the comfort of knowing that learning aid material is available online.
If private tuitions is developed as an alternative to regular school or college education, it is expected to bring a number of socio-economic benefits to the country.
