Writing Question:
The desire to get better marks is commonplace among students and because of this, cram schools are now a multi-million-dollar industry. Write a letter to the editor of the Hong Kong Express about the obsession with tutorial classes.

Dear Editor,

As a DSE candidate, I truly understand how stressful it is studying under the Hong Kong education system and I know most, if not all, the students are trying so hard to improve their academic results, undergoing all kinds of tutorial classes is the most common measure students take to ameliorate their results. Nonetheless, the norm of students taking tutorial classes should not be encouraged and I am writing to manifest why and express my personal points of view.

To commence with, for the people who won’t go for tutorial classes, they should bear in mind that even if they are not taking any tutorial classes, it does not mean that they are not hardworking enough. Since they might be so excellent that they do not need any extra help but still can achieve tremendous results in examinations. Or else, they might be the ones who are relatively weak in academic results. Some people might have an illusion that if they are not the elite or cream, and they still do not take going to tutorial classes into account, without a doubt, they must be the lazy ones. Nevertheless, it is absurd to pop up with this kind of thinking, as they might be seeking help from their teachers or parents. What’s more, even if they go to those tutorial classes, it does not guarantee getting good marks. Furthermore, those tutorial classes provided by cram schools are too exam-oriented; they just offer students shortcuts and skills to deal with the examination. As such, students might not have a clear concept of what they are learning and just keep reciting the notes which they possibly do not know what the contents are about.

Apart from the people who won’t go to tutorial classes, I believe there must be some teenagers who are contemplating to try. Known by the public, juveniles are still in puberty and they might be easily affected by their peers. This is the fundamental reason why they might be influenced by the bandwagon effect which actually means a psychological norm in which people do something primarily because others are doing it as well. As a youngster, I have been through it all and considered taking part in tutorial classes for so many times since a lot of my best friends had participated in at least two or even several subjects. However, I did not go to those classes at the end since I negotiated with my teachers and they thought only with the help of them, I could already get what’s needed for university entry. In addition, when you are thinking about going to those tutorial classes, never should you neglect the financial status of your family. The decision could add a significant monthly burden to the family’s regular expenses and, to be honest, it is quite pricy to many.

Moving on, for the people who are already taking tutorial classes, they should ask themselves whether those classes suit them, or they are just participating in them because of bandwagon effect. As what I have mentioned, these kinds of schools only focus on skills and shortcuts to help tackle examinations. The truth is, students might not know what they have learnt. That is a fatal reason of learning and the cram schools are obviously backfiring the purpose of education in this regard. Additionally, those who are already taking tutorial classes should clearly know the teaching method of these business centers. Things are standardized which cater less, if any, learners’ diversity. Take my friend as an example, she participated in tutorial classes for all her subjects. Still, when her DSE results came out, she finally realized that her tuition fees did not pay off at all. While some might benefit from having extra lessons, it is more than clear that the price does not guarantee a ticket to the university.

The aforementioned is the rationale why I think students should not place too much emphasis on taking tutorial classes. In fact, it is a double-edged sword. Every student is unique, and they should not be provided with the same shirt. Bear in mind that “Every road leads to Rome”.

Yours faithfully,

Zara Wong 6A(15)