Beware of bogus tuition masters and posters

Tuition has devoured the entire system of education in Sri Lanka today. Whether we like it or not it is the truth. Tuition has been inevitable and indispensable in the teaching learning process

Ajith PERERA

Parents are of the impression that unless their children are sent for an extra class other than their school education, their children would not excel in their examinations.

Parents plant this attitude in their children's minds even from their tender age in grade four or five at the scholarship examination and they too trust in tuition masters rather than their school teachers.

This is undeniably pathetic and the teachers at school become worthless. This could be a good opportunity for some teachers to neglect their duty because they know vividly that their students benefit from their tuition classes and credit the good results to their school's account.

When the results are released the school teachers who devote their sweat and blood and also those who bluff in their respective classes at school also keep their collar up. Results may save those teachers who neglect their duty. Those who supported their students immensely may not be recognized. How unfair is it?

Well established

No one can go against tuition because tuition is well-established islandwide. Teachers who conduct tuition classes are either government or private school teachers. They are compelled to conduct tuition classes, as there is a great demand for tuition. Further, the teachers are also motivated to supply according to the demand as their monthly salary is insufficient to meet their ends.

In such a socio-economic struggle teachers naturally become helpless and they are forced to use their talents in earning a few more rupees. It is not wrong.

Therefore, no one can criticize such teachers.

If someone needs to criticize such qualified teachers conducting private tuition classes, first they need to pay the teachers enough and if they still conduct classes, then he is free to criticize.

If teachers neglect their duty at schools and encourage their students to attend their own tuition classes, it is a crime. It is a punishable offence. When the teachers have enough opportunities to fulfill their duties and responsibilities within the stipulated time at school and if the teachers neglect their duties and responsibilities on the pretext of extra curricular activities or any other school activity and entice their students for their private tuition classes, such culprits should be severely punished.

They are a disgrace upon our noble profession. When the examinations come nearer at hand some government teachers and certain officers conduct private classes in the morning. They draw both the government and their tuition salary.

Qualifications

Doctors display their educational and professional qualifications in their dispensaries or their chambers.

Anyone can easily conclude that the doctor whom they consult is qualified and they can rely on him.

Lawyers too display their relevant certificates. What about the teachers? 'Doctors bury their mistakes. Lawyers imprison their mistakes but the teachers expose their mistakes to society.' Teachers who accomplish such a noble duty in society should also make their students and parents aware of their genuine educational and professional qualifications.

In the schools, the Principal knows the educational and professional background of his staff and the duties are assigned according to their qualifications. Owners of the tuition centres do not know whether the tuition masters possess the qualifications they boast of and the tutors are advertised even with their bogus qualifications.

It is hard to find a wall in public places without a tuition poster. Tuition posters and cutouts are the centre of attraction on school walls, lamp-posts and newspaper ad pages.

What is the guarantee of the advertised qualifications of those tutors?

Here are some of the qualifications they write under the names of the tutors. 'U G, Diploma or Higher Diploma or Cambridge Certificate or University Degree Holder etc.' Along with these qualifications the tutors at least do not mention the institution from where the Diploma has been issued. Innocent parents and students do not know what these abbreviations stand for and whether these tutors possess those said qualifications.

Unscrupulous tutors

I know a person who is attached to a private tuition centre in the town and his name is advertised along with U G and Diploma in English.

I met a student who learns under that tutor and asked him what U G under his teacher's name stand for. That innocent student said, 'Uganda' and "students believe that he is a foreign qualified teacher." Not only the students but also their parents do not know U G stands for Under Graduate.

Some tutors write Cambridge Certificate as a qualification. Cambridge Examinations (ESOL) are conducted even for children of five or six years under different names like Starters, Mover and Flyers and certificates are awarded.

If a tutor writes 'Cambridge Certificate' on his poster along with his name, to which category does he belong? They are the tutors who promise to teach English within three months or 'Spoken English within a month'. This is like fast food and it is food for thought for readers. Unscrupulous tutors can write anything they want because they know that they are not inspected by anyone.

They are the tutors who use half naked pictures on their posters to attract the innocent students and also sometimes use cheap tactics like yarns and filth to keep hold of their students in their tuition centres. Owners of the tuition centres should not forget that they also contribute to the labour force and to the development of the country directly. They too help the country by producing good results at the examinations. Therefore, they are also rendering a commendable service to the country. If they go for cheap labour, hire ill qualified teachers and advertise the bogus qualifications of such culprits for the sake of fattening their purses, the crime they commit can never be forgiven.

Spoken English

English is a language. Language is for communication. Speech is one of the language skills. English language should be taught in English. There is no 'Spoken or Unspoken English.' Obviously English is spoken. Most tutors teach language skills separate (in Sinhala) and later ask the students to speak in English. Tutors are very much interested in teaching Grammar separately but they do not use either communicative method, direct method functional Grammar or inductive method in teaching Grammar but by the mother tongue. They do not use the language to teach nor do their students use the language to learn. Poor students learn the language forever but they never use it. This is one of the reasons why English education in Sri Lanka is a failure. Teaching is an art. It is a sacred profession. This cannot be done by all. Teaching is more of an inborn talent. All who appear to be teachers and all who have the said qualifications may not be successful in imparting knowledge. There are teachers who render a yeoman service in their respective schools and in their private tuition classes as well. They should be duly respected and those wolves in sheep clothing should be chased to their respective forests by cancelling their membership of their tuition centres.