Free education with a difference

SERI KEMBANGAN: Driven by what was seen in the neighbourhood, Nalanda Buddhist Centre decided to open its doors as an education centre.

Nalanda Free School project, initiated in June 2010 by a group of volunteers, aims to provide free tuition for the primary and secondary school students living around the neighbourhood, especially those who hail from lower income families, single parent families and the academically weak. However, the centre does not stop other students, irrespective of race or religion to attend tuition classes.

“Nalanda’s path in Buddhism is about education. We started this as an experiment with just six classes in June 2010. We had 109 students and six volunteer teachers,” said Nalanda Buddhist Society’s executive secretary Nandini Tan Meng Fong (pix). Currently the centre has branches in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Sungai Petani. They have 37 classes for primary and secondary school students with more than 40 volunteer teachers providing free tuition for some 400 students.

“In holistic education, it is not just formal education that is emphasised but students need to show overall progress in their attitude and mind frame which would reflect their achievements in school. We provide the right conditions while imparting knowledge and also educate them on moral values,” she told theSun.

Nandini said most parents have seen a difference in their children after a few months where their mannerism is more refined and they are more patient and tolerant. The centre is deceptively quiet even when the classes are going on, without the usual noise one would equate with children.

“The children are taught to meditate a few minutes before the classes start, there is no element of a prayer or ritual. We advise them to do this to clear their mind so that they can absorb the lessons better. We also tell them to do this before exams,” she said.

Through Berjaya Founder’s Day, about RM140,000 was contributed to Nalanda Free School for the students by Berjaya’s founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan.