According to the Ministry of Education, over 21,000 primary school students are enrolled in school-based student care centres across Singapore. Community-based student care centres have over 11,000 students. As the number of student care centres grew, so did enrollment. Is there an increase in demand for student care centres because of the benefits to the students, despite the afterschool care cost, or is there a lack of alternatives?
Firstly, it is important to point out that Singapore currently has over 235,000 students enrolled in primary schools. Those in student care centres represent 14% of the primary school students. So, a significant portion of the population still relies on alternative after-school care, such as hired help, and relatives.
There are several reasons why more parents are paying student care fees, even when they have alternatives that will cost them nothing or less than what they are currently paying.
Opportunities to Learn
Student care centres have programmes centered on academics and enrichment. This means the hours at the student care centre are productive. The fact that the kids also get help with their homework is a plus. Parents don’t have to worry about getting home late at night, tired, and still required to help the children navigate their homework.
The learning opportunities make primary school student care fees worthwhile for thousands of parents. Additionally, the students attending community-based student care centres interact with peers from other students. These interactions allow them to build new connections and friendly competition that boost their performance.
Detailed Updates
Some centres charging high student care fees in Singapore have a lower teacher-to-student ratio. In most cases, this means the teacher has closer interactions with students individually. They can identify the strengths and weaknesses, and give parents detailed updates as the child grows to overcome them. To some parents, this makes student care centre fees worthwhile, especially in places where their child receives personalised care.
Learning Resources
Many student care centres, particularly community-based student care centres, lure parents with the learning resources they have at their disposal. They include digital learning resources, plays, books, and multimedia options.
The student care centres offering enrichment classes hire qualified staff to facilitate the classes. When parents understand why they pay high student care fees in Singapore, they willingly send their kids to centres where they’ll get the best growth opportunities.
Non-Competitive Alternatives
The alternatives to student care don’t have much to offer. Some parents rely on relatives, such as grandparents, to watch the kids after school. Unfortunately, most cannot help the kids with homework. Kids also miss out on hours of enrichment classes and tuition covered by student care centre fees.
Considering the benefits of student care centres, the alternatives do not offer a comparative advantage. This makes primary school student care fees worthwhile.
The percentage of students in student care centres is still relatively small. However, the number of students enrolling has been growing steadily primarily since student care centres transitioned into learning centres.
The afterschool care cost may be prohibitive for some parents, but subsidies have made it easier for students from low-income households to enjoy the benefits of student care centres.