Why High School Tutoring Requires A Peculiar Approach

By the time a student reaches high school, he enters an exciting school and social life. With it comes the double-edged sword of being challenged or distracted from his studies. High school tutoring requires a careful and peculiar approach. Not only does a tutor have to have superior grasp of high school subjects, he or she should also be an engaging mentor.

Whether the student is aiming for Special, Express, Normal (Academic), or Normal (Technical) secondary schooling, high school serves as the preparatory stage to more serious academic pursuits in college. It is at this time when a student plants seeds to more success to be reaped in college. Being able to satisfactorily meet academic requirements in high school prepares the stage for possible college scholarship or admission to exclusive universities.

High school tutoring is therefore essential. Communication between the tutor and tutee has to be open and comfortable, so that the student does not feel embarrassed about having the need for private tuition. Compared to primary school students, high school students are more conscious of other people’s perception of them and are sensitive in many ways. A friendly approach works best. The student is also impressionable and idealistic, so a tutor who himself has had academic success will best imprint upon the student’s mind the value of education, and now allowing any distraction from peer pressure, hanging out with peer groups, or the ever-present gadget and online gaming craze get in the way.

For a high school student sitting at O-level, class subjects number between six to ten, with English, Mother Tongue or Higher Mother Tongue Language, Mathematics, one Science and one Humanities Elective being compulsory. With the Ministry of Education’s revised syllabus, some new subjects are introduced, such as Computing and Theater Studies and Drama.