Why are private lessons a must?

I read the feature "Private lessons: Can we do without them?" (The Sunday Times, July 22) and I agree that "it is certainly no big secret that many Maltese students at all levels have to seek extra help in the form of private lessons at some time during their academic career."

When trying to explain why, the paragraph that struck me most read: "Is private tuition providing something that is missing in our schools, be it more individual attention, more opportunity for revision and more time to learn?"

A truly historic education reform would be one when we would all say: private lessons are no longer required. Obviously, there are people who immediately go on the defensive by saying that children are forced to attend private tuition because their parents are obsessed with exceptionally high grades. But why is it that most children quit going to private lessons once they receive results that just scrape them through? So, they are mostly after a pass mark.

In Malta, children, even those attending Church schools, have to attend evening doctrine lessons to receive the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation. Besides, regular physical activity (so badly needed to address the national problem of childhood obesity) is often carried out after school hours.

Wouldn't it be wise if the government were to commission a study to see how schools operate abroad and why the need for extra tuition there is not felt as in Malta, especially now that there is only one Europe?