After two years of break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, UTAR once again collaborated with ECM Libra Foundation to organise a series of comprehensive English and Bahasa Malaysia Tuition programmes for selected primary schools in Perak.

Aimed at instilling a sense of social responsibility among UTAR staff and students as well as bringing quality education to young schoolchildren, the UTAR-ECM Libra Foundation English and Bahasa Malaysia Tuition Programme 2022 marked another milestone in conjunction with its completion on 27 November 2022 at the Kampar Campus.

Jointly organised by the Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC), the Faculty of Arts and Social Science and the Faculty of Business and Finance, the tuition programme aimed at improving schoolchildren’s English and Bahasa Malaysia. The tuition programme was also designed to help schoolchildren feel more confident and prepare them before their school final term examinations.

The closing ceremony of the collaborative project saw the presence of UTAR Faculty of Science Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, ECM Libra Foundation Executive Trustee Lim Beng Choon, school headmistresses, school representatives, schoolchildren, parents, DSSC staff and student helpers.

Among the schools selected were SJK (C) Thung Hon, Chenderong in Batu Gajah; SJK (C) Siputeh; SJK (C) Jeram and SJK (C) Ying Sing, Malim Nawar.

In his welcome speech, Dr Lim said, “On behalf of UTAR, I would like to thank ECM Libra for its generous contribution towards promoting education, especially amongst the young. This marks the eighth year of our collaboration with ECM-Libra Foundation since the first project in 2014. UTAR and ECM Libra Foundation have enjoyed close ties as we both share a passion for giving back to society. We are glad to see so many students benefitting from the tuition programmes through the classes conducted by UTAR staff, who are also assisted by UTAR students.”

He added, “With the tuition projects by UTAR and ECM Libra, this is a good opportunity for schools and young students from new villages to learn and equip themselves with the right education and essential knowledge, especially with English as a lingua franca. Additionally, some schools may face a shortage of resources in doing that, especially in the new villages. Hence, these programmes are also bridging the gap between urban schools and rural schools. UTAR as a not-for-profit university, established by the people and for the people, strives to provide educational opportunities for deserving students in the country. Education can transform the lives of youths and broaden their horizons to build a brighter and better tomorrow. I would like to thank DSSC, FAS, FBF and UTAR students for conducting such good programmes that offer an intensive learning opportunity to the primary school students.”

Meanwhile, Lim in his speech enthused, “It is always fundamental for ECM Libra Foundation to help students in need to receive a quality education; we feel education is an important component that will help in ensuring sustainable societal development. He added, “We offer grants to institutions and schools as well as interest-free loans to deserving students to pursue tertiary education. In addition to that, ECM Libra Foundation also provides various projects to needy schoolchildren through tuition, educational and non-academic programmes.”

Lim also highlighted the importance of English and Bahasa Malaysia by explaining, “The purpose ECM Libra Foundation constantly provides English tuition programme to schoolchildren from new villages is to create awareness in the community and the parents that learning English can help the children to learn through more channels and sources. Grasping English can also be a huge benefit to help the children grow greater communication ability, in addition to accessing wider sources of information. I would like to encourage school students to take full advantage of the programme and embrace English to be a global leader in the future. Additionally, Bahasa Malaysia is also equally important as it is the national language of Malaysia. As Malaysians, we should take pride in our national language and it is seen as an essential tool in promoting a sense of national identity. Therefore, we would also like to encourage the schoolchildren specifically from vernacular schools to learn and master Bahasa Malaysia as well.”

The English and Bahasa Malaysia Tuition programmes focused primarily on teaching listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Apart from indoor learning, the students also engaged in interactive activities such as storytelling, grammar lessons, English language-related games, reading aloud, and singing action songs to stimulate students’ interest in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

At the closing ceremony, schoolchildren from Standard One to Standard Six showcased their language ability through performances such as storytelling and singing English songs. The closing ceremony ended with a lunch for the guests and schoolchildren.