Asian parents are spending billions of dollars on private tutors for their children, and the practice is growing despite doubts about its effectiveness, according to an Asian Development Bank study published Wednesday, AFP reported.

"Shadow education" is an expanding business not only in wealthy countries, but also in some of the region's poorer nations as parents try to give their children the best start in life, the study said. Nearly nine out of 10 South Korean elementary pupils receive private tutoring, while the figure for primary school children in India's West Bengal state stands at six out of 10.

The study estimated that the costs of private tutoring in South Korea were equivalent to 80 percent of government spending on public education. Japan spent $12 billion on extra teaching in 2010, while the figure for Singapore stood at US$680 million in 2008.

Extra academic work aims to help slow learners and support high achievers. Many Asian parents view it as a constructive way for adolescents to spend their spare time. However, it can also reduce the students' time for sports and other activities important for their overall development as well as cause social tensions as richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring, the study said.

The study calls for a review of educational systems to make such extra teaching less attractive.

(China.org.cn July 6, 2012)

法新社報道，據亞洲發展銀行周三發表的研究顯示，亞洲家長為孩子請家教花去億萬美元，雖然人們對家教是否有效存在質疑，但家教卻越來越流行。

該研究表示，家長想給孩子們一個最佳的人生起點，因此“開小灶”的生意不僅在富國，在一些窮國也越做越大。在韓國，9/10的小學生請著家教，而在印度西孟加拉邦，小學生請家教的比例為6/10。

研究估計，韓國的請家教花費相當于政府公共教育投入的80%。2010年，日本在課外輔導上花了120億美元；2008年，新加坡的這項花費為6.8億美元。

課外輔導是為了幫助后進生，也是外了幫優秀生保持好成績。在許多亞洲父母看來，這也是未成年子女度過課外時間的有益方法。然而，該研究表示，課外輔導也會削減學生全面發展所需的運動時間和其它活動時間，還會引發社會關系緊張，因為家庭越富有，就能請得起越好的家教。

該研究呼吁重新審視教學體系，從而降低課外輔導的吸引力。