The Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC), the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, and the Faculty of Business and Finance once again collaborated with ECM Libra Foundation to organise a series of comprehensive English, Bahasa Malaysia and IT 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, Bahasa Malaysia and IT Tuition Programme 2023 marked another milestone in conjunction with its completion on 18 November 2023 at Kampar Campus.

The tuition programme, aimed at improving schoolchildren’s English and Bahasa Malaysia, was designed to help schoolchildren learn basic IT and computer skills.

The closing ceremony of the collaborative project saw the presence of UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, ECM Libra Foundation Executive Trustee Mr 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) Thung Hon, Tanjung Tualang; SJK (C) Siputeh; SJK (C) Jeram; SJK (C) Lawan Kuda; SJK (C) Yu Ying; and SJK (C) Ying Sing, Malim Nawar.

Prof Choong 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 ninth 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.”

Lim in his speech enthused, “It is always fundamental for ECM Libra Foundation to help students in need to receive a quality education and indeed 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.”

The English and Bahasa Malaysia Tuition programmes focused primarily on teaching— listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Apart from indoor learning, the students were 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.

Additionally, the IT Tuition programme, which focused on basic computer skills, such as typing, navigating online, and using basic software, were essential for students to be successful in daily life and stay relevant in today’s digital era.

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.