Most boys in his class are starting all-subject tuition for class 5. We have managed without so far

Part of the reason half those parents send them, in my experience, is that it covers 5 to 7 when nobody is home. Our daughter went for exactly that reason in class 5 and 6, and the 'tuition' was mostly homework done under supervision. If you're home and he's coping, I'm not sure what it adds.

Our daughter has just moved into class 10, ICSE, and has never had all-subject tuition. She took maths coaching for a few months in class 9 when one chapter was not going well, and stopped once it was sorted. For us class 5 was not the jump. It came in class 7, with the separate science subjects. I would watch for one specific subject he struggles with, rather than taking tuition as general insurance. What does his teacher say about where he stands?

Before deciding, it may help to find out what these centres do in those evenings. When our son's friends started tuition in class 5, most of it turned out to be finishing school homework and working ahead in the textbook. That is not the same as teaching. We did not send him then. He goes for physics coaching now, which was a decision about one subject. I cannot say how much of this applies to ICSE; ours was CBSE.

We tried it for two months in class 4 because of the same peer pressure. The problem was not the tuition itself. He started bringing back homework that was finished, in neat handwriting that was not his, and his notebook looked better than it had all year. We stopped. I still don't know whether a different tutor would have been better, or whether that is what most of them do at this age.

Elder one went for tuition only from class 9, and that too only maths. Before that I sat with him most evenings while he did homework, it was enough. Class 5 lo it's more about habit than syllabus. The peer pressure is real though, my younger one is already asking.

My grandson is a few classes behind yours. His parents have had this same talk at every PTM since class 1. My own son never went for tuition till intermediate. Different times, I know. But if the boy is managing and asks questions at home, I would wait.

I teach my daughter at home in the evening, she is small, starting first class. My own schooling was Telugu medium, so English I am learning along with her, from YouTube videos. Maths and EVS I can manage. I think if father or mother can sit with them even 30 minutes daily, tuition is not needed in these classes. Later maybe, class 8 or 9.