ELTU 1002 English Communication for University Studies

Essay Proposal
1. Topic and Audience Analyses
Topic: Cram schools in Hong Kong
Essay title: An analysis of the contribution and drawback of cram schools in Hong Kong
Target audiences: Government officials in the Education Bureau and students
What kind of information should I collect to advance their understanding on the topic?
1. Academic journal articles
2. Survey and statistics on cram schools in Hong Kong and in foreign countries
3. Relevant government documents and schools policies
Which documentation style is appropriate for this topic? APA

2. Essay Outline
I.

Introduction
Context and background:
-

Glossy brochures, giant billboards, advertisements on buses and so on, what appeared
are not pop idols, but tutors being praised as kings and queens in tutorial schools.

Cram schools, or tutorial schools, provide additional after-school tutorship upon exam
skills and question-tipping service so as to help high achievers excel in public exam
and enhance their competence in entering good universities (Tsai & Kuo, 2008).

Cram schools in Asian countries are a profitable business that highly meet students
demand. This scenario also applies to Hong Kong. (Bray and Kowk, 2003)

Government statistics show 34% of the primary and secondary students in the city
went to cram schools and the industry is earning at least $3.6 billion annually (Ng,
2012).

Thesis Statement:
Cram schools are undoubtedly contributing to improvement of students academic
performance and Hong Kong economy, but there are also drawbacks in which
government resources are wasted and the inequality between poor and rich students is
enlarged.
Purpose of writing:
-

To provide a balanced analysis about cram schools in Hong Kong

To raise awareness about its problems behind the success of such business

2. Main ideas by key paragraphs

Main Idea 1
The services provided by tutorial schools help students improve their academic performance and
thus enhance their chance to strive for university entrance through public exam.
Elaboration
- The competition among students is intense, only 18% of the overall candidates can enter
government-funded universities (Kwok, 2001).
- The exam-oriented learning atmosphere in cram school differs from that of day schools
- Students are trained to use exam skills to crack the questions and cram all the model answers in
order to reach full marks as possible as they could.
- 40% of the students of a typical celebrity tutor, Yat-yan Lam from one of the large scale local
tutorial schools, has got ideal results in the public exam in Chinese subject. (Inspiring you
always, 2014)
Main Idea 2
The flourishing tutorial industry helps to support Hong Kongs economy, which offers innovative
business method and create huge job opportunities.
Elaboration
- The industry is earning at least $3.6 billion annually (Ng, 2012), which contributes greatly to
Hong Kongs GDP.
- Synchronized video broadcasting and video playback are used as innovative tutoring methods
so that one single lecturer can give lecture to hundreds students at once, which makes much more
profit. (Russell, 1997)
- Tutors gain popularity and wealth, while cram schools offer great amount of jobs for university
students and others. (Kedmey,2013)

Main Idea 3
Soaring popularity of cram schools means a waste of government resources as it provides
twelve-year free education in day schools.
Elaboration
- Students believe the notes and question-type-cracking skills are good enough for them to
excel in public exam and they are willing to pay more for the service (Kwok, 2001).
- They do not pay attention at day schools anymore
- More than $700 billion is spent per year on education sector by the government in order to
provide free education (Education Bureau), which is not efficiently and effectively used by
students.

Main Idea 4
The existence of cram school is unfair to poor students.
Elaboration
- Participation rates in cram school increases with household income (Cheng & Wong, 1996)
- Average charge of an intensive four-lesson course for each subject is $400
- Only people who are able to afford the fees of cram schools can improve their performance in
school
- Students living under poverty can barely afford such luxury, without extra resources to
support their study, they can hardly compete with the rich students. (Bray & Kowk, 2003)

III.

Conclusion
-

The tutorial industry is growing rapidly, its contribution toward Hong Kong students
and economy is undoubtedly crucial.

But its problems over government educational resources and equality between the
rich and poor students should not be neglected.

Government should investigate an educational reform in order to achieve better

utilization on government resources and learning culture in Hong Kong.

3. Working Bibliography
Bray, M., & Kowk, P. (2003). Demand for private supplementary tutoring: conceptual
considerations, and socio-economic patterns in Hong Kong. Economics of Education
Review, 22(6), 611-620. doi:10.1016/S0272-7757(03)00032-3

Cheng, K. M., & Wong, K. C. (1996). School effectiveness in East Asia: Concepts, origins and
implications. Journal of Educational Administration, 34 (5), 32-49.
Inspiring you always [Pamphlet]. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.beacon.com.hk/starroad/yylam.php

Kedmey, D. (2013, Dec. 30). Rich and famous: Why Hong Kong Private Tutors are Millionaire
Idols. Time. Retrieved from www.time.com/
Kwok, P. (2001). A multi-level social analysis of demand for private supplementary tutoring at
secondary level in Hong Kong. (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Hong Kong).
Available from The HKU Scholars Hub. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/10722/35867

Ng, N. (2012, May 10). Cram schools should be accepted as part of daily life. South China
Morning Post. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/article/1000601/cram-schoolsshould-be-accepted-part-daily-life
Resource Management Section, Education Bureau. (2014) Government expenditure on
education. Retrieved from Education Bureau website: http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/aboutedb/publications-stat/figures/gov-expenditure.html
Russell, N. U. (1997). Lessons from Japanese Cram Schools. In W. K. Cummings &P. G. Altbach
(Eds.), The challenge of eastern Asia education (pp.153-171). New York, NY: State
University of New York Press
Tsai, C. C., & Kuo, P. C. (2007). Cram school students conceptions of learning and learning in
Taiwan. International Journal of Science Education, 30(3), 353-375.
doi: 10.1080/09500690701191425