SINGAPORE, Nov 19 — A tuition centre at NEWest Mall in West Coast, Singapore, is handing out free bags from the US luxury goods brand, Coach — but there’s a catch.

Only parents whose kids have been enrolled for four years at the Chinese Language Centre (CLC) will be eligible for the giveaway, according to Shin Min Daily News.

The centre, which announced the giveaway in October, displayed a sign that reads: "Thank you for your support! If your child has been studying with us for four years, you’ll get a brand-name Coach bag.”

It also adds, "Thank you for your trust in the past four years.”

But is this really a generous thank-you to parents — or a clever marketing tactic?

A representative from CLC, identified only as Zhang, told Shin Min that the giveaway is intended to show appreciation to parents.

However, he wouldn’t reveal how much each bag costs, how many are available, or how many parents are eligible for the offer.

The reactions? Mixed. Yin Pingping, 37, said she’s not after the bag but thinks it’s a nice gesture. "It’s a good way to give back to parents,” she said.

On the other hand, Yang Zhiting, 44, who is eligible for the giveaway, is more sceptical.

"This sounds like a promotional tactic,” she said, concerned that it might attract more sign-ups and overwhelm the teachers. "I’m not taking it.”

Other rival tuition centres aren’t worried either.

The proprietor of another centre, who is known only as Zhao, said they don’t rely on gimmicks.

"We’ve been around for a while, so we don’t need promos,” he explained.

Daniel Chua, founder of Cognitus Academy, acknowledged that CLC’s move is innovative, but he’s focused on providing quality education, not freebies.

"We want to retain students through great teaching, not giveaways,” he said.