The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.114).

2019 • 09 16 eature Drawing from her vast experience in the teaching profession, Mallika understands the importance of paying attention to her students’ voices and observing their behaviour. She also advocates learning beyond the classroom by instilling a positive mindset among her students and dispensing life lessons.Although she believes that scoring in exams should not be an end in itself, she anticipates encouraging improvements in her students’ academic performance and character. Carrying on the Tzu Chi spirit The interdependent relationship between tutors and students remains a core concern of the volunteer team behind the tuition programme. A stable roster of committed teaching staff boosts the students’ morale, as the latter tend to place more trust in familiar faces. The volunteer team faced numerous curveballs, yet they were quick to adapt by formulating counter-measures accordingly. Soon enough, word spread about the tuition programme, attracting a growing enrolment year after year with the highest number of enrolments recorded at 63. However, the supply of tutors was insufficient to meet the demands of the surge in student numbers. Mallika hoped for more tutors to join their ranks in order to resolve the shortage and improve learning conditions for the students. Recruiting tutors for the tuition programme is no easy feat, considering the tuition classes are scheduled on weekdays when teachers are devoted to their school duties full-time. Yet, Mallika persisted and combed through her network of former colleagues for prospective candidates, contacting them over the phone or visiting them personally to introduce them to the tuition programme, with the hope of inspiring them to contribute to the cause and enable the students to benefit from a wider support system of loving tutors. Retired educator Nirmala Devi Kandasamy is one of the experienced educators who heeded Mallika’s call. She chose to leave her otherwise peaceful and leisurely retirement for the chance to make a difference in the lives of the younger generation by serving as a tutor on the tuition programme. Contrary to a traditional classroom setting, she is tasked with comparatively fewer students under her care and is not bound by administrative obligations, yet the students’eager, hopeful faces struck a chord with her. Holistic education “The students’ enthusiasm for learning is my major motivation to teach here. Although their performance in school is below average, they never gave up on their studies. They persisted in attending classes and paid attention to the tutors’ guidance. I believe that the conducive learning environment appeals to them,” Nirmala remarked. The kind-hearted Nirmala highlighted that children in their formative years learn best when motivated by due recognition for their efforts. The students in the tuition programme tend to be dismissed as underperformers in schools with a stellar academic track record owing to their mediocre exam results, but Nirmala observed that the students’ learning process means more than acing exams, saying, “For the students in the tuition programme, learning extends beyond fundamental literacy skills to the communication skills necessary to express themselves and adapt to various social situations, besides preparing themselves to face the challenges ahead.” The pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds. Nirmala, who was formerly a senior