Moment with energetic students of SK Dato Mohd Musa.
By Dayang Fairuz, Aqil Mustafa, Zulaica Wee Wan Ling and Prof. Dr. Soubakeavathi Rethinasamy
What began as an informal conversation over dinner in 2024 has blossomed into a year-long partnership that significantly strengthened the English proficiency of primary school pupils at Sekolah Kebangsaan Dato Mohd Musa (SKDMM), Samarahan. The English for Juniors (E4J) programme, conducted from April to December 2025 over 23 Saturdays provided 90 hours of English instruction and enrichment to 60 Primary 4, 5, and 6 pupils. At the same time, it created a meaningful service-learning opportunity for English for Global Communication (EGC) graduates from the Faculty of Education, Language and Communication (FELC), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), who served as programme facilitators.
The initiative took shape when the President of the Educational, Welfare and Research Foundation (EWRF) visited Kuching in 2024 for a work meeting. During a dinner discussion with Prof. Dr. Souba Rethinasamy, the President shared information about the existing Language for Juniors (L4J) programme implemented at selected schools in Peninsular Malaysia. This was followed by an online briefing by the L4J coordinator, during which a request was made to extend the programme to Sarawak. From there, the project moved swiftly from concept to implementation. EGC graduates volunteered as instructors, and SKDMM welcomed the collaboration as a valuable initiative to enhance pupils’ English proficiency and confidence, particularly among those with low language proficiency.
Over the course of 90 contact hours, the Saturday sessions combined language instruction with engaging, learner-centred activities. Lessons focused on vocabulary development, guided reading and comprehension, pronunciation practice, and conversational skills through role-play and paired speaking activities. Creativity and self-expression were encouraged through short writing tasks, projects, storytelling, and language games. Regular formative assessments were conducted to monitor students’ progress, strengthen language skills, and prepare pupils for school-based examinations. In addition, specialised elocution coaching was provided to selected pupils who participated in public speaking competitions. Periodic progress reviews were also gathered from SKDMM English to ensure alignment between E4J instruction and the school curriculum. For pupils with very low literacy levels, individualised coaching was conducted to provide targeted support.
The programme’s impact became visible within a relatively short period. At the classroom level, continuous assessment records and school examination results showed marked improvement among participating pupils. Notably, Primary 6 pupils who completed the E4J programme performed particularly well in the Sarawak UP-DLP assessment, clearly reflecting their improved English proficiency and academic achievement. In addition, five pupils – Andrian Ryan Roger, Connel Bi Ervin ak Herrio, Elsa Amanda Kimberly ak Entali, Mohamad Zhafarie Shah bin Mohamad Zainal, and Ellynliana Ritie ak Musa qualified for the English Elocution finals and were fully sponsored to compete at the national level at SK Vivekananda, Petaling Jaya, together with their parents. Led by EGC instructor Ms. Zulaica, the delegation returned with pride, with Connel achieving first runner-up, while the other finalists delivered commendable performances and gained invaluable exposure and confidence.
Beyond measurable academic outcomes, parents and teachers also reported increased confidence, motivation, and willingness among their children to use English both in and outside the classroom. School teachers praised the sustainability of the programme, highlighting that the teaching materials and activity templates developed through E4J can be reused for their own classes. The EGC graduates gained valuable hands-on teaching experience, enhancing their classroom management, and communication skills, while making a meaningful contribution in developing the young generation. Above all, the programme strengthened relationships between the university, the school, and the wider community.
With funding from EWRF covering instructor fees, teaching materials, and meals for the pupils, and additional support from the UNIMAS Sustainability Centre (USC) enabling the purchase of engaging language games such as Scrabble and Boggle, what began as a single conversation evolved into a meaningful initiative. The project paved the way for significant academic progress, enriched learning experiences, and renewed confidence among SKDMM pupils, while simultaneously providing FELC’s EGC graduates with valuable opportunity to make a meaningful contribution towards the young generation.
During the simple yet meaningful closing ceremony held on 12 December 2025, SKDMM Headmaster, Tuan Haji Issnu, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the pupils’ parents for their strong commitment, to EWRF for its generous funding, and to the FELC E4J team led by Prof. Dr. Souba Rethinasamy for their dedication in enriching pupils’ English language proficiency, performance skills, and self-esteem. He concluded his speech with the hope that the E4J programme would continue in the coming year.