Students Don’t Need More Tuition. They Need Better Questions.

 

Students Don’t Need More Tuition. They Need Better Questions.

Every year, I meet parents who share a familiar concern. Their children attend multiple tuition classes, spend long hours studying, and complete countless exercises — yet meaningful improvement remains elusive.

This raises an important question: Is the issue really about having enough tuition, or is it about how students think and engage with learning?

Tuition has its place. It provides structure, guidance, and reinforcement. However, much of the tuition focuses on delivering answers — formulas, formats, and model responses. While useful, this approach often overlooks a more fundamental skill: the ability to ask good questions.

Many students who struggle academically are not lacking intelligence or effort. Instead, they lack confidence in how to begin, fear asking questions, or have grown dependent on step-by-step guidance. When support is removed, they feel lost.

This is not a knowledge gap.
It is a questioning gap.

The conversation becomes even more relevant with the rise of AI. Used poorly, AI can become a shortcut. Used wisely, it becomes a powerful thinking partner. The difference lies entirely in the quality of the questions asked.

When students learn to ask questions such as:

• “Why does this work?”

• “Can you explain this in simpler terms?”

• “What are common mistakes to avoid?”

They slow down, reflect, and engage more deeply with the subject.

For example, instead of asking for an answer outright, a student might ask AI to walk them through the reasoning step by step, pausing at each stage for understanding. This approach builds clarity, confidence, and independence.

As educators and parents, we must remember that education is an amanah. Our goal is not only academic results, but the development of thinking, judgment, and resilience.

When students learn to ask better questions, they become learners for life — capable of navigating complexity, with or without technology.

I am currently finalising a practical eBook on this topic, focused on helping parents, educators, and students use AI wisely to strengthen learning and thinking. I will share it once it is ready, insyaAllah.

Until then, consider this simple shift:
Instead of rushing to give answers, help a child ask a better question.