IEF to give free English tuition to more rural students

PENAMPANG: Being proficient in the English language can spur students, especially those in the rural areas to do better in other subjects in school.

“You can see (that) there is a shift in the mentality if you can converse in the language. These children become proud when they are good in English and they want to excel in other subjects after that,” said INDEP Education Foundation (IEF) chairman Datuk John Maluda.

To see the transformation in the students is encouraging and gives a sense of satisfaction to have helped pave the way for a better future for them, he said when met after the signing ceremony of sponsors for the Foundation’s outreach program known as ¡¥Be English Speakers Today’ or BEST.

Maluda said BEST was a program focussed on providing free English Tuition to children between 10 and 11 years old and the target are those in the rural areas.

According to Maluda, the tuition classes are conducted in seven IEF centres, six located in primary schools and one in the Putaton multipurpose hall in Inobong.

The schools are SK St Paul in Kolopis, SK Sugud, SK Babagon, SK Kipovou and SK Moyog, all in the district as well as SK Kituntul in Ranau.

“We plan to open more centres and in fact we are in negotiations process to open in Kiulu and Inanam. Our hope is that being proficient in the English language, the students will do better in school. These kids become proud when they are good in English and they were to excel in other subjects after that.

“In the beginning everyone is shy but a few months after that, they will engage you in conversation. They are more open and even though not fluent in English, they will try their best to speak it,” he said.

Maluda opined that the current education system does not put much emphasis on English so what IEF is doing is filling in the gap because it knows that English is very important as it is the lingua franca of the world.

“We believe that the future of the children in rural areas depend on their ability to command the English language. Only through education can you break the vicious cycle of poverty It is not by giving them handouts. It is like giving people the fish rather than teaching them to fish.

“We want our young people to be aware of the challenges in the future and one of the ways to do that is to master the English language. We are preparing the young in the rural areas to effectively face the challenges posed by the 22nd century in terms of access to resources, employment opportunities, education opportunities etc,” he stressed.

According to Maluda, the tuition classes are conducted over a period of 35 weeks and there will be one threehour session a week.

One class has a maximum of 25 pupils and it costs each centre RM5,200 a year for the classes, he said, adding that the tuition teachers are paid RM30 an hour and are also given them.

To this end, IEF, he said was looking for sponsors to help out.

“It is a meaningful way to spend their money by helping the children get better and prepare them for a better future,” he stressed.