Meet Dr. David, the proud owner of a highly acclaimed tuition centre Science Ventures Learning Hub in Marine Parade, recognised as one of the best in the area. Known for its commitment to academic excellence and personalised learning, his centre has earned numerous recommendations and accolades from parents and students alike.
With a passion for education and a dedication to nurturing young minds, Dr. David has created a supportive environment where students thrive, excel, and develop a lifelong love for learning. Find out how he is making a difference in the tuition industry.
What motivated you to start a tuition centre specialising in math and science?
It started with helping children in church, and that was free tuition. From there, we grew, and I realised I had to move out of my house. When I rented a place, it couldn’t be free anymore, so we had to start charging to pay the overheads. That’s how we started.
The purpose of starting the math and science tuition centre is to inspire kids to think about a career in math and science. A lot of us stumble into our careers in these fields, but we are looking for children who want to pursue advanced degrees like a PhD, master’s, or bachelor’s in math and science, or even a Polytechnic diploma, with a career focus on math and science or R&D in these areas.
Science Ventures Learning Hub is also featured as one of the best centres in the Marine Parade vicinity. Can you share how this journey came about?
I think that came as a surprise because we didn’t pay anyone for that. We refuse to pay people to rate us. If people rate us, we are always very thankful. Science Ventures Learning Hub has been recognised by Asian Parent, Skoop.com, WhereCrowded.com and Schoolbell.com as among the best tuition centre in Marine Parade for Math and Science tuition.
I believe we were rated based on the reviews written on our Google Business page. Those reviews were from parents and students, and they ranked us based on their experiences. For that, we are always very grateful.
How do you ensure your teaching methods cater to the individual needs of students?
All of us have been teaching for a very long time, and most of us have terminal degrees, like PhDs, in our teaching subjects. Because of that, we are able to identify students with learning difficulties and understand the nature of those difficulties. Once we identify the challenges, we can tailor our teaching to help them effectively.
What role do you think math and science play in the overall development of students?
Math and science play a very important role because we live in a technological society. To truly understand and appreciate how things work in this world, students need a strong foundation in math and science.
How do you keep up with the changes in the educational curriculum to ensure that teaching is always relevant?
We follow very closely with what MOE does. Most of us have teaching backgrounds, with some of us retiring early from MOE. We stay in touch with colleagues in MOE and keep track of newspaper announcements.
Whenever MOE has a work plan exercise, we pay attention to what’s being said and keep up with what the minister is saying. This helps us stay informed about where the system is headed in the next three to four years.
The most important advice is that students must know what they want out of their education. They must have a clear idea of where they want to go and what they want to do.
What challenges do you face when building your own tuition centre, and how do you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge facing tuition centers is getting students. One way to overcome this is by using social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. When we first started, we relied on print media advertisements in The Straits Times. That worked for a while, but when it stopped being effective, we explored other areas like SEO and SEM.
How do you motivate students who might struggle in math and science to stay engaged and excel?
We find out what drives the students. Our classes are very small, with only four to five students per class. This creates an intimate environment where students can learn interactively.
We use a lot of hands-on activities in class, and concepts are taught through play. We want students to understand that science itself is discovered through experimentation and “play.” This method makes learning more enjoyable and effective.
As an educator, what is the single most important advice you would like to give to students?
The most important advice is that students must know what they want out of their education. They must have a clear idea of where they want to go and what they want to do. Our role is not merely to teach math and science but to understand what drives each student. Once we know that, we help them achieve their goals, showing them how math and science can be part of that journey. This removes barriers, and students become self-motivated.
What are your future plans for the centre, and do you plan to expand your services or offerings in any way?
Yes, we hope to franchise the business. Franchising is a good way to grow. There are many tuition centers and franchises in Singapore, but we think the best way to grow is by franchising while offering training to franchisees. This ensures educators focus on teaching while we help them manage the business and attract students.
Where do you see yourself, and what’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
Personally, I see this as my retirement job. I hope the business grows big enough so that I don’t have to work anymore but can still generate income. My goal is to create a system like McDonald’s for education.
For Singapore, I hope our centre can contribute to national growth by educating people in math and science. These individuals would know what they want to do with their knowledge and appreciate the technological advances around them. A person educated in math and science can be trained to do almost anything they like.
Connect with Dr. Foo: Science Ventures Learning Hub.
