Private tuition for G.C.E. (A/L) and university entrance: findings from the University of Peradeniya

Abstract

Attempts by students to pass GCE (A/L) to follow private tuition, may exhaust them possibly leading to poor performance after university entrance. A questionnaire was administered to investigate the students on various types of tuition classes attended, number of attempts of A/L and choices of the respective faculties of study. Altogether 103 undergraduates from Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (AHS); 61 from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (VET); 39 from Animal Science and Fisheries (AS) and 44 from Agricultural Technology and Management (AGRI) participated in the study. The most popular (79-84%) was “Revision” while “Individual” tuition was attended by few (0-8%). “Papers” are equally popular (77- 84%). As the attempt advances, the students avoid “Theory” but attend “Revision” and “Papers”. A total of 9/103 from AHS, 6/61 from VET and 3/39 from AST never attended any tuition. The highest proportion of students who entered the faculty preferred in first attempt was for VET (10/61) followed by AS (4/39). The highest proportion who entered in their third attempt was AS (26/39) followed by AHS (54/103). A total of 22/193 from AHS, 6/61 VET, 13/39 from AS and 20/44 from AGRI are following courses that were not even their 3rd choice. The numbers who applied for AHS as their first, second and third choices were 6, 11 and 64, respectively while the similar numbers for VET in their first, second and third choices were 5, 1 and 49 respectively. From 39 in AS, and 44 in AGRI, the numbers who applied AS and AGRI as their first, second and third choices were 4, 8, 12 and 8, 6 and 10 respectively. Most undergraduates have followed private tuition, enter at their 3rd (last) attempt and are in faculties not preferred by them. If their attitudes are not changed immediately after university entrance, their maximum potential to study cannot be tapped. School education must be enriched and strengthened in order for prospective undergraduates to attend to extracurricular activities during school time and be psychologically better and stable thereafter.