‘Is this an accident?’: Student tutor shocked after receiving S$2,888 red packet from Tutee’s parents

SINGAPORE: A university student who tutors primary school children part-time was left speechless after receiving a red packet containing S$2,888 from her tutee’s parents.

“They just gave me a really thick red packet, and when I got home and opened it, it was S$2888,” she wrote on a local forum on Tuesday (Feb 24). 

Completely stunned, she turned to the internet to ask if this was even normal. “Anyone knows if it could be an accident? Should I mention to the parent that it’s too much? The amount is so high that I’m completely taken aback,” she said.

“Do I just do nothing and have lessons as usual? Or are they expecting something in return? So lost, and anyone who has experience in Chinese customs or something, please enlighten me. Thanks!”

“Please check with the parent.”

In the comments, one Singaporean user advised her to clarify the matter directly with the parents, saying, “My advice is to cross-check with parents, as it’s absolutely not a common amount.”

Another said, “I think you should reflect on what you did to this child that is so life-changing that you received such a big angbao. S$2888 is like buying an entire table of 10 at a wedding, leh. Please check with the parent.”

A third remarked, “Speaking as a parent, if my kid was struggling in school and the tuition teacher is the primary factor in turning that around (and my kid likes the teacher), I would have no issues giving gifts of that magnitude. Sometimes it’s not solely about grades. Can be about stuff like self-confidence, mental health, and even cognitive ability.”

Some commenters also asked about the family’s nationality, noting that such generous red packets are reportedly more common in certain cultures.

One said, “Are they a rich family, or from China? Some Chinese people are used to giving large angpaos.”

Another shared, “Had a friend who was teaching Indo kids. She used to get S$2k plus every time about 7 years back. They owned mines in Indonesia and were crazy rich.”

“I’ve been so great with her kids.”

In an update, the student said she had already checked with the mother to confirm the amount.

“I talked to the mum and she said yes it’s meant for me,” the student wrote. “I mentioned that it’s quite a huge amount, and she said it’s because I’ve been so great with her kids; they really like having me around, and she sees me as a part of her family.”

The mother also shared that she suspected her daughter might have ADHD, but noticed significant improvements in both her grades and behaviour after the tutor began teaching her.

“Oh, and she has overheard one of her kids disrespecting her during a lesson, and she heard me correcting them and teaching them to respect their mum so she really appreciates that.”

In other news, a Singaporean employee has alleged that he was dismissed from his job immediately after his manager discovered he had signed up for a job interview with another company.

In a post published on the r/asksg forum on Saturday (Feb 21), the worker shared that he was confronted by his manager the very next day.

“He told me I was laid off the next day. No idea how he found out… but I got sacked,” he wrote. “Haven’t received formal notice yet. But he told me I don’t need to report for work anymore.”

Read more: SG worker earning S$3.4K a month says his manager immediately dismissed him after catching him signing up for a job interview