When one student care centre charges $260 and another $1000 per month, one would naturally wonder about the variation in aftercare cost. What do you miss when you pay a lower fee or what are kids enrolled in student care centres charging premium fees?
Homework Support
Student care fees in Singapore, irrespective of the amount, cover homework support for kids in primary school to lower secondary. Since most of them get home late, the student care centre is the ideal place for them to do their homework. This eases the pressure on parents, but the kids also get support from qualified staff.
Tuition
Most student care centres with a higher after school care cost also offer tuition on top of homework support. Some classes are based on the child’s needs, while others have structured classes where students learn in groups.
The academic curriculum is aligned with the regular school program, giving the kids a competitive edge. This student care service appeals to many parents, prompting them to pay higher primary school student care fees.
Qualified Staff
The student care centre fees cater for operating costs, including qualified staff. Depending on the services offered, most student care centres employ qualified personnel with experience handling students of different age groups.
Some seek staff with relevant experience, including retired teachers. Student care centres offering enrichment classes usually have qualified staff to handle them, and parents pay high student care fees for them.
A Slot in a Popular Student Care Centre
Some student care centres are in high demand, so much so that they have long waitlists. Many parents want to enrol their kids in these centres, despite the prohibitive primary school student care fees. In some cases, the high afterschool care cost is an elimination mechanism so the student care centre focuses on applications from parents who can afford it.
Meals
All student care centres are expected to provide meals for the students under their care. Most student care centres provide lunch and an evening snack. Community-based student care centres offering weekend and holiday programs provide more meals, especially to students enrolled in the full-day student care program.
School-based student care centres charge lower fees, and the canteen or an outsourced service provider handles the meals.
On the other hand, community-based student care centres have an in-house kitchen providing nutritious meals. This is one of the attractive features in some community-based student care centres, and many parents readily cover the high student care fees knowing their kids are feeding well.
Enrichment Classes
Some student care centre fees also cover enrichment classes. Many popular community-based student care centres offer holistic development programs to facilitate skill development in the kids under their care. The range of enrichment classes varies, with student care centres offering more charging higher primary school student care fees.
Lower Teacher-to-Student Ratio
Some parents are willing to pay higher student care fees in Singapore for a lower teacher-to-student ratio. Some parents feel the kids get personalised attention, hence better value for money. Community-based student care centres have a lower teacher-to-student ratio, which usually translates to a higher after school care cost.
Whether higher student care fees mean better service is subjective. Some parents believe that the more they pay, the better the student care centre, while others feel they don’t lose much by paying less. For other parents, the priority is having a safe place for the kids to stay after school, while for others, the benefits of expensive student care centres outweigh the cost.