Did you know that two different comments can both be useful? A school teacher may be helping your child meet a particular assignment requirement, while a tutor is developing a wider skill. For Bukit Timah families, the first step is to put both comments beside the same original question and your child’s unedited work.
Ask what each comment applies to: this school submission, a practice exercise, a particular examination component or a longer-term learning habit. Then check the instruction or assessment criterion that governs the task. A preference about style is different from a mathematical error; a useful extension is different from a required answer.
Today, write down the two comments accurately and ask one neutral question: “For this task, which requirement should my child follow, and why?” Agree on one next action, let the child attempt it and inspect the result. Tuition helps when it makes school learning clearer and gives the student a method they can use independently.
eduKateSG · Bukit Timah · Parent decision guide
Find your next step
SECTION 1 OF 5
Put the disagreement on one page
Start with the smallest complete example. Keep the question, the child’s first attempt, the school comment and the tutor comment together. Include the task date and any relevant instructions. A recollection such as “School says never do that” can accidentally turn advice about one exercise into a rule for every exercise.
Ask the child what they heard before asking them to rewrite anything. They might have understood “show more reasoning” as “write a longer answer”, or “try another method” as “your method is wrong”. The discrepancy may sit in the interpretation rather than in either adult’s teaching.
Keep the exchange about the work. A parent can request clarification through the school’s usual communication route and share relevant feedback with the tutor. The student should not have to carry accusations between adults or decide who has greater authority.
SECTION 2 OF 5
Separate task requirements from teaching choices
For a school assignment, ask the teacher responsible for the task to clarify its requirements. For national examination preparation, consult the correct official syllabus and component instructions. A tutor’s worksheet or a model answer is a teaching resource; it does not by itself establish the assessment rule.
Consider a Primary Mathematics exercise that explicitly asks for a model. A correct algebraic solution may demonstrate understanding, yet miss the exercise’s intended practice. The tutor can help the child represent the same relationship with a model rather than telling them to abandon a valid idea. If the question contains no such instruction, clarify the concern before imposing a blanket ban.
In English or Mother Tongue writing, “be concise” and “develop your explanation” need not conflict. The child may need fewer repeated phrases and a clearer reason. Ask each adult to point to the sentence and show the intended improvement. In Science, distinguish an unnecessary extra statement from a missing causal link.
SECTION 3 OF 5
Use the child’s actual subject route
A secondary student’s Posting Group and individual subject levels have different jobs. PG1, PG2 and PG3 guide admission and initial subject levels; G1, G2 and G3 identify the level of each subject. Confirm the school’s actual subject programme when checking conflicting advice, rather than inferring every subject from the Posting Group.
A Humanities response may need evidence from a particular source, while a Science explanation needs a relevant relationship. A Computing, Art or Design and Technology task may have its own process or submission conditions. Advice that works for one component should not automatically become an all-subject rule.
For PSLE or SEC preparation, also identify the examination year. SEC begins in 2027, but a younger secondary student may sit examinations later. If the disagreement concerns format or syllabus coverage, verify the version rather than relying on the age of a familiar practice book.
SECTION 4 OF 5
Turn clarification into one independent attempt
Suppose a child’s comprehension answer contains a correct quotation but no explanation. One comment says “use evidence”; another says “explain in your own words”. The next action could be to retain the relevant quotation and add a sentence showing what it reveals. That is a teachable repair, not a contest between two comments.
After the repair is explained, give the student a fresh, short task with the same demand. Ask them to decide what to include before an adult edits it. Check whether the clarification changed the child’s decision, not merely whether the corrected page looks better.
For younger children, keep the rule concrete: “Answer the question, then show how you know.” For older students, ask them to state the criterion and justify their choice. Avoid building a long list of exceptions that they cannot apply while working.
SECTION 5 OF 5
Close the loop without multiplying instructions
Record the agreed action in plain language and share only the information needed for follow-through. For example: “On this school task, show the model and label the quantities. In tuition, practise explaining how the model matches the calculation.” Leave the broader plan intact unless new evidence calls for a change.
If clarification is still needed, keep the original evidence and ask the responsible teacher or tutor a specific follow-up. Do not invent a compromise for a factual error or an unclear assessment rule. Meanwhile, work on an agreed skill so the child can keep learning.
The eduKateSG small-group Mathematics reference starts with diagnosis, clear explanation and independent practice. Applied here, the same teaching principle is simple: identify exactly where the instruction becomes confusing, clarify it and check that the student can act on the clarification.
Contents · Previous · Discuss your next step
Start with one piece of schoolwork
Bring a recent task and tell us where your child needs help. Ask about the subject, level and learning arrangement that fits their current school work. Confirm teaching scope and suitable arrangements directly.
Continue with the related guides
- Primary 1 to SEC tuition decision guide
- Understand why credible feedback can conflict
- Coordinate PSLE English support
- Prepare the schoolwork for a consultation
Sources and scope
The practical examples are original teaching illustrations, not student results or promises. This guide applies the diagnosis and independent-practice principles in the unchanged eduKateSG Mathematics reference. Curriculum and examination information was checked on 9 October 2026; use the official documents for your child’s actual examination year and confirm school-specific requirements with the school.