Blurring the line between public and private education carries consequences

over how best to teach each student, and tailoring lessons to bring out their best.

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While teachers remain responsible for moulding young minds, they are swimming against the tide of privatised tuition quietly usurping their role.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has long acknowledged this tension and the impact on students. In a parliamentary reply earlier in 2025, it noted that while some students genuinely need more help, “excessive tuition can diminish students’ joy of learning and take time away from their holistic development”.

Yet, what MOE considers “excessive” often feels “essential” to parents. Beyond those seeking a competitive edge, some feel their children's learning needs are not adequately addressed by mainstream schools.

Therein lies a third paradox. The Education Ministry has said it cannot intervene in personal decisions about tuition, even as it warns of inequality.

Parents’ private agendas clash with public goals of improving social mobility, but tempering such inclinations appears to be a mission impossible.