Fatima University

On the second year of implementing the English Department Tutorial Program (EDTP), Our Lady of Fatima University, through the English Studies Office and the English Department Community Extension and Development Services (EDCEDS) granted Karuhatan National High School (KNHS) free weekly English tutorials for selected students during the Send-Off and Orientation Activity for the student tutors and tutees held on June 20, 2009 at San Lorenzo Hall.

During the program, Mrs. Esther Margaret Oiga, Head of the English Department of Karuhatan National High School, received the certificate of grant from Mr. Robert Bjorn O. Santos, Director for English Studies. She stated in her message that the high school is accepting the program positively because it ranked the lowest among other schools in Valenzuela in terms of English proficiency skills based from an achievement test that was conducted last school year. She is also thankful to the University especially to the English Studies Office for considering the school as one of this year�s beneficiaries along with Valenzuela National High School (VNHS) which was also last year�s school beneficiary.

There are a total of 40 tutees who will benefit from this year�s program � 20 from KNHS and 20 from VNHS. The weekly tutorial sessions which started last June 22, 2009 and will last until March 2010 will be handled by student tutors from the University who were mostly majoring in Nursing. Most of the tutors for this school year were selected after a deliberate process of screening that started since March of this year. Nine tutors who were part of last year�s tutorials are still involved in the program for this year. They were introduced during the send-off activity which was also attended by the tutees from KNHS and VNHS. The program also served as an orientation activity for them.

Prior to this, the tutors had a one-day seminar on time management skills, effective tutoring, and lesson preparation strategies. Mrs. Vilma Malay Duka of the Department of Psychology, Mr. Jilson Tio, Chairman of the Community Extension and Development Services of the English Department, and Ms. Michelle Alejandrino, Co-Chairperson of the same committee facilitated the seminar. During the seminar, the tutors were given an idea on the importance of managing time in relation with their voluntary work. They were also given techniques on becoming effective tutors by getting along well with their tutees and by preparing for the weekly lessons.

During the send-off program, Mr. Tio emphasized that EDTP is an avenue to create in each student the desire to be of service to other men. He also added that it is a way of keeping alive the legacy of the founders of the University whose vision of �improving man as man� is forever carved on the stones of education. �What do the student tutors get out of the services that they render? It�s the profound feeling of fulfillment in seeing their tutees being able to speak good English and knowing that they all graduated and are now in college,� he further said.

EDTP is a component of the English Department�s community extension service and was launched last year. Student tutors from the University visit their tutees in the public high schools weekly for their two-hour study sessions.