Breakdown of Primary 3 to 6 Students Receiving Private Tuition by Subject and Median Household Spending to Evaluate Sufficiency of School-based Learning

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry tracks (i) the proportion of Primary 3 to 6 students receiving private tuition broken down by subject and (ii) the median household spending on private tuition; and (b) if so, how these indicators are used to evaluate the sufficiency of school-based learning.

Response

1. The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not track the proportion of Primary 3 to 6 students receiving private tuition, broken down by subjects. Based on the latest Household Expenditure Survey 2023 by the Department of Statistics, resident households spent on average $104.80 a month on private tuition.
2. MOE does not use these indicators to evaluate the sufficiency of school-based learning, as learning is influenced by multiple factors in and outside of school, and the reasons for taking up tuition vary.