Tutorial Program in the Philippines

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone globally, presenting new challenges and forcing people to make adjustments, find new ways of coping and become more flexible in how they approach the world.

Tutorial Program Adapts to the Pandemic

Pearl S. Buck Foundation Philippines (PSBP) has made significant changes in the implementation of its programs since March 2020. One of the educational programs is the Tutorial Program for the sponsored children who need academic intervention both in Math and in English. This used to be done in a school-based setting, both in groups and one-on-one. The tutors are professional teachers from both public and private schools. This year, this program needed a new design based on the current educational system in the Philippines, which has shifted to online and home modular classes due to the pandemic.

Learning at Home

The basis of the home modular class is learning modules prepared by the teachers but implemented at home under the guidance of parents, siblings, or anyone who can assist the students. Parents have had difficulty with this, however, as many of them did not finish college or even high school. PSBP, therefore, came up with the idea of involving all its college scholars to be tutors for sponsored children and facilitating the modules instead of the parents. To date, there are 63 college scholars who are directly involved in PSBP’s Online and Home-Based Tutorial Program. A total of 101 sponsored children are the recipients of this program, which will hopefully lead to academic improvements. Math and English are no longer the only focus; tutors help the students with their entire learning modules. PSBP observed that the program has been working and has been beneficial to both the learners and the tutors; the students’ grades have improved, and the college scholars get some experience in mentoring and teaching and they are happy to do it.

Scholars are Happy to Help

“Being a tutor is a great experience,” said Reinalyn, a psychology major and PSBP college scholar from Rizal Technological University. “It unleashes my hidden skills in teaching and in subjects that I thought I could not do well.”

Economics major and PSBP college scholar Fiona, who attends the University of the Philippines-Los Banos noted, “This new normal thing is very different and what I integrate into my teaching is the attitude of focus. Since many students are now distracted by so many gadgets, they need to focus. So far, they are coping and trying to absorb all the lessons I guide and teach them.”

This program—and so many others—are made possible by the generosity of our child sponsors and donors. Thank you for your unwavering support in bridging cultures and changing lives!