These days however, tuition classes have become something of a lifesaver, what with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.
With schools closed, many students are struggling to maintain their grades, especially with their waning interest in studying. Tuition classes have helped fill the gap left by the absence of physical classes, with teachers conducting online classes regularly.
However, not every student is privileged to afford these classes, and given the current economic situation, their position is unenviable.
It’s these unfortunate students that mathematics tutor, Janahan Arumugam, hopes to help with his latest ambitious and well-intentioned initiative.
In an attempt to do something never attempted in Malaysia before, Janahan tells FMT he is planning to host a 14-hour webinar on Oct 10.
The webinar, while targeted to Form Five students sitting for their SPM examinations, is also open to all secondary school students.
It will cover topics from Form One to Form Five, in what can be aptly described as a refresher course of sorts. More importantly, registration and participation are completely free of charge and any student from anywhere in Malaysia is free to join.
Of course, the idea of a 14-hour webinar seems hard to imagine, much less conduct, but Janahan is confident he can ace it. He also believes he is physically fit enough to outlast the clock.
According to him, his love for mathematics led him to study engineering in college.
“I thought that if you’re good at maths, an engineering course would be easier but it’s not! The maths you learn in secondary school is completely different to what you’ll learn in engineering school.”
As an undergraduate, Janahan had to scrape by as a student with limited pocket money, and on some days, he had to skip meals to save on expenses.
To give himself some financial breathing space, he worked odd jobs, including that of part-time surveyor and technician. Eventually though, he was set on a completely different path when the juniors he was tutoring praised him for his gift of teaching.
“’Your way of teaching’s really good compared to our lecturer,’ they said.” And that’s when the idea of giving tuition classes struck.
His first student was his father’s relative, and while he didn’t charge for it, he was given a travel allowance of RM20 and in the process, gained the invaluable experience he needed to be become a full-time educator.
His life motto is “Learn, Teach, Inspire”, something he takes to heart by inculcating his love for mathematics in his students as well.
In 2019, he published a book about the complexities of mathematics called “Math Key”, to guide students towards achieving an ‘A’ in the subject.
The following year, however, was one of the toughest, courtesy of the pandemic.
Janahan says the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns affected him both mentally and financially. “For three months straight, I had no income,” he says. “I had to struggle a lot that year.”
What made things worse, he says, was that he found the idea of teaching online classes daunting, and it was only because of the help of some loyal students that he started to get the hang of it.
Even so, he was concerned that students in general were losing interest in their studies as many had barely spent time in school since the pandemic. He was also aware of the economic hardships many households were facing and decided to offer online workshops and webinars free of charge.
“We’re doing everything for free to help those who don’t have the privilege or resources to get an education.”
The idea for the 14-hour webinar however, came about during a conversation with a student.
According to him, the student said she was totally unprepared to take her SPM examinations this year and could no longer continue with tuition classes as her parents could no longer afford it.
Realising that there were many others like her, he decided to conduct the 14-hour webinar for free. He’s also hoping this endeavour will make it into the Malaysia Book of Records as ‘The Longest Virtual Non-Stop Mathematics Webinar’.
“The reason I finally decided to become a teacher is because I believe teaching touches lives,” says Janahan. “When you educate a student, you shape that student’s future.”
Register for Janahan’s free webinar by sending a WhatsApp message “Join Project 14” at 010-2551434. Registration is open until Oct 8, so hurry! Learn more by visiting Facebook or Instagram.