My dear readers,

1. Last year our students spent $1B dollars on Tuition (as reported by Sunday Times, 9 Nov 2014)

"Singapore’s tuition industry is now worth more than a billion dollars" according to Sunday Times, 9 Nov 2014.

"In the latest Household Expenditure Survey, families spent $1.1 billion on tuition last year, almost double the amount spent a decade ago. The Department of Statistics conducted a survey of some 11,000 households between October 2012 and September 2013."

The Survey found that tuition is not just to help the weaker students but also to keep the bright ones "ahead of the others." The growing number of tuition centres attests to Singapore’s ever-increasing demand for tuition. To date there are some 850 tuition centres on the Government’s registry. Some centres have grown into chains. One such centre, for example, has grown into 21 branches in 12 years, reaching to over 10,000 students! (This is an astonishing expansion as the demand for tuition grows.) Tuition costs are not cheap by any means. One parent said: "My three children asked for tuition to keep up (as the teachers ‘teach too fast’ for the children) and that costs money!" Poor parents! In order to meet their children’s needs, they just keep "coughing up" the tuition fees!

One comment I heard: "Everyone, it seems has tuition. Parents willingly ‘pay up’ as they feel for their kids." The common reason is, if you don’t give them the necessary tuition, they may lose out. It is a sort of "kiasu mentality."

So this sort of reasoning goes on. It is quite infectious, not always because the child needs it, but "What if you do not help him (or her)?" So the reasoning spreads! In no time, Singapore becomes infested with "tuition centres"! (Just because of "apparent need"!)

I remember some 60 years ago, my elder brother (also from ACS, like me) used to give tuition to a boy in my class in Latin (for $40 a month) and that boy came from a very rich family! That was just an isolated case! He took that tuition for some two years, quite successfully! In those days "tuition" was something of a rarity, not like today. It seems like an epidemic today!

2. FEBC Evening classes!

To those who have an evening to spare (and who hasn’t?), give a thought to the night classes offered by FEBC. FEBC has a whole range of classes, lectures, etc coming "on stream" shortly! It’s better than any tuition. I invite you to see what is available "at your doorstep" which may be worth more than money can buy – better than you "hitting some jackpot" or coming into rare fortune.

FEBC night classes may be just what you need!

"BASIC THEOLOGY FOR EVERYONE" BY FEBC

Evening classes commence on 5 January 2015 @ 7.30 pm, 9A Gilstead Rd. The Book of Revelation by Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew commences on Monday 5 January. Westminster Standards by Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo commences on Thursday 8 January.

Online Courses: Calvin’s Institutes II, Life of Christ I, The Bible and Miracles. (For online courses, register at http://www.febc.edu.sg/OnlineCourses).

God bless you!

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor