How to choose a primary tuition centre in Singapore

Before comparing centres, be clear about the problem you are trying to solve. Your child's school teacher is usually the best first source: ask which subject and which specific skills need support, and whether the school already offers help.

The Ministry of Education describes private tuition as a commercial service and encourages parents to exercise discretion and due diligence when choosing a centre or tutor. Choosing not to take tuition is a legitimate outcome of that thinking.

Under the Education Act, a centre offering tuition or enrichment to ten or more students must be registered with the Ministry of Education. Ask the centre to confirm its registration and the name it is registered under.

Registration is a compliance requirement. It is not a rating of teaching quality, so the checks below still matter.

Primary pupils take English Language, a Mother Tongue Language and Mathematics, with Science added from Primary 3. In Primary 5 and 6, each of these subjects is taken at Standard or Foundation level under subject-based banding.

• Confirm the class is for your child's current level, not a mixed-level group.
• If your child takes a Foundation subject, ask whether the centre teaches that syllabus.
• Ask which branch runs the class. A programme listed for one branch is not always offered at another.

Brightly's subject guides list centres linked to each primary subject: Math, Science, English and Chinese.

• How many pupils are in the class, and is there a maximum?
• Who will teach your child, and will it be the same teacher each week?
• How is progress reported to parents, and how often?
• What happens when a lesson is missed?

Brightly does not verify class sizes or teacher qualifications. Treat anything on a listing about these as the centre's own description and confirm it directly. For a comparison of formats, see group tuition versus private tuition.

Centres quote fees per lesson, per month or per term, and lesson lengths differ. Ask for the fee per lesson and the lesson duration so that you are comparing like with like, then ask what else is charged: registration, materials, deposits and assessment fees.

For context, 179 of the 290 primary listings on Brightly state a clear per-lesson fee. Those published fees run from S$10 to S$200 per lesson, with a median of about S$69 when each listing's range is taken at its midpoint. These are observations from the directory, not quotations or a market average. See the primary tuition fee guide.

A centre your child can reach without strain after school is more likely to be sustained through the year. Check the actual class times for your child's level, not only the centre's opening hours.

Brightly publishes town directories for 10 planning areas where at least five centres have a verified location. Brightly does not publish walking or travel times, so check the route yourself. For centres with a checked location, the station guide lists those within 500 metres, in a straight line, of an MRT or LRT exit. Browse all centres.

Star ratings on Brightly are a snapshot recorded when a listing was researched. Read the full, current reviews where they were written, look at recent ones rather than the overall score, and notice how the centre responds to criticism.

If a centre offers a trial lesson, use it to see whether the pace suits your child. How Brightly handles ratings and reviews.

1. Is the centre registered with the Ministry of Education, and under what name?
2. Which level and syllabus does this class follow?
3. How many pupils are in the class, and who teaches it?
4. What is the fee per lesson, how long is a lesson, and what else is charged?
5. What is the notice period to stop, and are deposits refunded?
6. How are missed lessons handled?
7. How will I hear about my child's progress?