Tuition Classes: Those were the days my friend

Most days after school I would have tuition, be it at 5.30 or 8pm. English, Bahasa, Add Maths, Chemistry... I even had PHYSICS on those good-for-nothing-but-sleeping-in Sunday MORNINGS at 10am. Ah Yes. Tuition is not uncommon in Malaysia, at least not on my small island. Average price was RM30 a month, constitutes of once-twice a week one-two hour classes. Some students start early, after primary school they would attend these extra classes instead of going home to watch Darkwing Duck and 6 O’ Clock TVB serials.
I had a rather terrifying Chemistry tuition teacher- MR JASON NGAN. He was highly terrifying. I never failed to attempt to do my homework for his class. Oi, don’t know how to answer question can kena marah teruk-teruk one okay!!!(Get one big hell of a shelling!). I used to memorise the Jadual Berkala (periodic table) the night before class and try to be early for classes so I could copy off Alex Khoo or Mann’s homework. The first class I attended, I met possibly one of the funniest jokers I will ever know- CHIANG SOONG! (Classically ‘unforgettable’) His exact words were “Sir, you dog always kacau me, he ate my homework”. And he continued to blame the dog for everything. And he used to get chalk thrown at him. And he frequently had to rub the blackboard. For all his second hand smoke and terrifying-ness, Chemistry tuition was possibly the best time I had after school.
I looked forward to going, because it is really at tuition where one gets to socialise with people from other schools and make friends outside those I have known all my life. I love you guys, but hey, everyone needs diversity right Ben? (AND IT’S NOT BUAYA-ING waters okay!! I went to s t u d y.)
I believe that tuition in small classes – small for government schools, about as big or bigger a class if compared to Sri Inai though – helps develop the child. We learnt sharing, compromise, cooperation, and how not to be reclusive. Even the Doremon in Add Maths tuition tried to make friends. I think he liked Jimmy. I am sure he didn’t like me, and there was a CLHS lang chai in class who was Doremon’s friend – they were both from the same school. Fringe benefits of tuition? One inevitably learns how to buy ‘teh peng’ and gain insights and tips into SPM questions.
In primary 6, before English & Maths tuition, I played badminton with Han Nii and Yi Ling behind Mr. Yeoh’s house or we’d sit on the swings and do normal primary school girl stuff.
In BM tuition, we would watch TV or just talk and talk and talk for 2 hours straight. Most of the people in my BM tuition were from Hamidkhan, a school that was relatively unknown to me, and would be still if I never went for BM tuition. ‘Twas fun, Monday nights, going to tuition did not seem like a chore. Maybe that is why I did not do so well for SPM BM....*gRiN*... we gossiped and joked in English. And the sir was not terrifying enough.
Happy days they were. Especially when people brought Chuppa Chups. *smiles*. Does tuition really help one to ‘get ahead’ in terms of education? I really don’t know. Because I think everyone(save for the exceptional prodigical few like YAO) I knew took some sort of tuition at one time or another.
I never fail to wonder, how my friends from the western world grew up without tuition classes. I always think they missed out a lot. Perhaps it is just accustoming to the norm of practice.