Tutorials help tip the balance

Tutorial colleges are popular among many students because Hong Kong's education system is too exam-oriented.

However, this doesn't mean that they don't trust their teachers. Of course, their quality and professionalism cannot be questioned.

But school teachers have a very heavy workload. They have to handle administrative tasks as well.

Thus, they have less time to prepare their lessons and this may affect their performance.

On the other hand, their counterparts in tutorial centres can fully concentrate on the task at hand. They have all the time to collect materials for their lessons.

Moreover, tutorial colleges provide what students really need - tips to pass exams.

Although education isn't all about getting through examinations, the reality is that exams are vital to our future. Therefore, tutorial centres mainly focus on teaching students how to tackle tests. I think it is difficult to judge whether attending tutorial classes is a waste of time and money. As a student who takes such courses, I can say the atmosphere is different from that in school. Students will naturally study harder if they are paying a large amount of money.

I have realised that I can learn more new things there than at school. So, it is worth spending such a big amount if you really want to improve your academic performance.

In fact, people should not discriminate against tutorial centres, and students should not depend only on them. They should pay attention in school, too.

Chun-ni is a student of Pooi Tun Secondary School