One teacher, Kevin Raj, decided to take matters into his own hands by creating Sapphire Education, a platform that provides teachers with online tutoring jobs and matches parents with tutors for their children.
Kevin was moved to help in March last year after a fellow teacher called him in tears, having been unable to get tutoring jobs.
“I wanted to bridge the gap between teachers and students by creating a platform that would make the process smooth and straightforward on both ends,” the 33-year-old tells FMT.
He posted advertisements on social media reaching out to teachers, and even used his own money to pay for sponsored ads.
It worked – teachers soon approached him asking for guidance setting up their tutoring services. Kevin helps them establish their online classes, and they work out a fee based on the size of the class.
“To date I have been able to provide over 400 teachers with tutoring jobs and hope to continue to do so,” he shares.
Although some teachers are not in favour of reduced prices, Kevin notes that during this time it is important for them to make their classes affordable as parents are also struggling.
Kevin also gets requests from parents looking for tutors for their children, and helps to connect them based on the children’s needs.
Currently, he is running Sapphire Education entirely on his own. Though it gets exhausting, Kevin is determined to help as many as he can.
“I am juggling doing this while teaching, but it brings me joy to help those teachers in need,” he says.
He has even given up his own students for others to tutor so they are able to make an income.
“We are all going through a bad time right now,” he adds. “It is important to help each other so we can come out stronger”.
Kevin emphasises that he is not an agency and is not gaining from this. “I don’t charge teachers for my services. Everything I do is self-funded.
“My only goal is for teachers and parents to benefit from the work I am doing. There will be people who won’t like what you are doing but it is important to stay positive and keep pushing through.”
As for the future, Kevin is working on setting up a free mentoring platform for students.
“I noticed that the depression rate among students has increased over the last year and many are calling hotlines to talk to someone,” he says.
Through this platform, he aims to reach out to those who are struggling. “I do hope to set this up as soon as things get better,” he adds.
If you are a teacher offering online classes, or if your children are in need of a tutor, get in touch with Sapphire Education via Facebook or Instagram.