The ongoing debate around tuition culture in Singapore has resurfaced following recent remarks by Minister Chan Chun Sing and the Bukit Panjang MP incident. Parents face increasing pressure to enrol their children in tuition—not necessarily out of necessity, but due to school expectations, aggressive tuition centre marketing, and social comparisons. However, is tuition truly the answer to academic success?

For , the founder of , his personal experience with tuition shaped his perspective on learning. While tuition helped him in primary school, he struggled in secondary school without it. This realization led him to establish FPE, a mentorship-driven approach that focuses on , rather than just drilling them with more content.

Through , Emil and his team empower students to develop essential life skills like , freeing them from reliance on tuition. But how does this mentorship model work, and how can parents support their children’s learning without succumbing to tuition pressures?

Many parents believe that , but Emil argues this is a misconception. While tuition may provide short-term academic boosts, it does not necessarily build the skills needed for long-term success.

“Many assume that if a child is struggling, the only solution is more tuition classes and practice papers. But often, what students lack is not more content, but the right study habits, time management skills, and independent learning strategies.” – Emil Lim

Additionally, parents often enrol their children in tuition out of rather than genuine necessity. Schools emphasize academic results, and tuition centres capitalize on this by marketing their programs as a “must-have” for success. Social comparisons also play a role—when parents see others sending their children for tuition, they feel obligated to do the same.

Instead of automatically turning to tuition, Emil advises parents to :

If it’s the latter, tuition may not be the best solution.

Rather than reinforcing tuition dependency, Emil believes that students should be guided towards through mentorship. Unlike traditional tuition, mentorship focuses on to study rather than just to study.

At , mentorship includes:

“Tuition creates dependency while mentoring in SG builds independence. A student who completes our program will no longer need tuition because they’ll have the skills to succeed on their own.” – Emil Lim

This approach shifts students from a learning mindset (waiting for answers from tutors) to an learning mindset (taking initiative in their studies).

Many parents experience , fearing that without tuition, their children will fall behind. Emil offers three key strategies to :

Carol, a , struggled with her daughter Rory’s resistance to tuition. Rory felt overwhelmed by the demands of school, and additional tuition only intensified her stress, leading to conflicts and emotional distress.

At her breaking point, Carol turned to through FPE. Rory was paired with a mentor closer to her age, who helped her . Over time, Rory became self-sufficient, managing her own study schedules and workload with confidence.

Alexia, a , wanted her eldest son Xavier to on his own terms. Being a , Xavier struggled with academic pressure and found it difficult to meet expectations.

Through , Xavier worked with a mentor who helped him build self-confidence and study at his own pace. Instead of feeling forced to study, he , making his education journey much more enjoyable and effective.

Singapore’s education landscape is evolving. The Ministry of Education has been , signalling a move toward a more holistic approach. Email predicts:

FPE aims to be at the forefront of this change, .

The pressures of Singapore’s tuition culture are real, but parents have . Instead of defaulting to tuition, consider .

With , students can and develop the confidence to .

“Our mission is to help parents break the cycle of tuition dependency and give students the tools they need to succeed confidently and independently.” – Emil Lim

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