English tutorial program launched in Lahug Elem School

CEBU, Philippines - To enhance the English teaching programs in public schools, the English tutorial program was launched in Lahug Elementary School by the Department of Education with Vicsal Foundation and Aegis People Support.

“In Vicsal, we have four charters and the first is education. We do English tutorial, apart from our other Education projects, as we aim to give our children better English, better future,” said Marcelyn Cabildo Rubica, Vicsal’s Program and Evaluation officer.

Rubica said they have tapped companies from the business process outsourcing industry to provide volunteers while DepEd takes care of the technical aspects of the program.

Vicsal’s “Better English, Better Future” program started in 2010 with agents from Qualfon Philippines serving as tutors. This year, Aegis People Support volunteered to send their agents for the same task.

Rubica said they chose Lahug Elementary School because it is near the volunteers’ workplace as most of them will do the tutorial shortly after their duty hours.

Yesterday was their first day of tutorials where they spent an hour of their time with nine sections in Grade 2.

Volunteers have to undergo assessment from their company as well as DepEd seminars and trainings before being allowed to do the actual tutorial.

Rubica said through the help of their volunteers, they aim to improve the English proficiency of students from public schools. They chose the Grade 2 students because Grade 1 students may get confused with the reinforcement of the English language now that native tongue is used in their discussions as mandated by DepEd.

The program, which is free, is set once a week or depending on the availability of their volunteers, and will culminate at the end of the school year.

Rubica said Vicsal hopes to also bring this program to the high school students, “in preparation” for their career choice, if in case they would opt to work in the call center industry. (FREEMAN)