University student urges peers to tutor struggling pupils

Nimantha said he wanted to do something to help ''heal' those struggling in the pandemic

A physics student is encouraging his peers to tutor disadvantaged children at risk of failing their GCSEs.

Masters physics student Nimantha Fernando began as an volunteer maths tutor for GCSE level pupils in October.

He said: "During the pandemic in the summer I saw there was a big crisis in terms of education so it pushed me over the edge and gave me the last bit of encouragement."

He is working on behalf of Action Tutoring at Bristol Cathedral School.

He credits his father who gave him maths lessons at home.

"In year 10 I was in the middle set and I was in the lower end of that," he said.

"People in academics think that if you're good at something you're gifted... my dad just said I needed to practice and it gave me confidence as he also believed in me."

The 22-year-old from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, said despite the pandemic causing disruption to his degree, volunteering only meant 15 minutes for lesson planning in addition to the weekly one-hour online lessons.

He is currently teaching two students.

"I've never looked back - it's a great feeling passing your knowledge on to others and seeing them grow in confidence, knowing that you are actively improving their life chances," he said.

GCSE pupil Joanna said: "The areas that I found most tricky were factorising and finding a gradient of a line.

"It has reassured me in those areas that I previously struggled with."

Nimantha added: "One of the big things in this pandemic is that you see all this suffering going on.

"It's quite nice to be able to do something to help heal the whole thing."