A pilot tutoring program designed to provide support to high school students in literacy and numeracy is making a positive difference, thanks to the dedication of 麻豆直播鈥檚 LinkUp committee.
The collaborative effort between Curtin鈥檚 Future Student Services and School of Education, recently completed at Southern River and Armadale high schools, provides mentoring help by volunteer Bachelor of Education students at low socioeconomic schools (SES).
The LinkUp Tutoring Program was set up in response to the 2009 Bradley Review鈥檚 recommendation for universities to increase undergraduate enrolments of traditionally underrepresented individuals and groups.
Acting Director for Future Students and Marketing, Tracy Armson, said the potential of a tutoring program to raise pre-tertiary performance and strengthen self-efficacy within schools had been discussed as part of the University Student Equity Strategy for 2010-13.
鈥淔ocus groups discussed included Indigenous peoples, regional and remote areas, young people with low NAPLAN results, mature age prospective students, as well as those in our community who are financially disadvantaged,鈥� Ms Armson said.
Tutoring Program Coordinator and ex-classroom teacher, Saul Karnovsky, said his experience in teaching at SES communities had helped him to identify key requirements for the program.
鈥淥ne-to-one help can provide a struggling student with much needed assistance, as often a teacher in a classroom of 25 or 30 students will find it difficult to spend enough time aiding those who have learning difficulties or lack core skills to process information,鈥� Mr Karnovsky said.
鈥淭he added benefit is that our pre-service teachers can extend their learning as well as build their portfolio of teaching experience.鈥�
Mr Karnovsky said tutoring support provided schools with a flexible pool of committed pre-service educators to share the burden placed on classroom teachers.
鈥淧ublic schools are under enormous financial pressure, with very tight budgets to deliver curriculum and essential support services to students,鈥� he said.
鈥淚n a classroom of up to 32 students, often education assistants are only provided to those most in need, such as students with physical impairments, and funding for support is dependent on the fluctuating numbers of enrolments.
鈥淭he LinkUp Tutoring Program is about helping to identify young people experiencing social, economic and other kinds of hardships and finding multiple solutions to increase their chances of success in life and formal learning situations.鈥�
Over the coming weeks, Curtin鈥檚 LinkUp committee will collate evaluations by school principles, classroom teachers, students and candidates to inform the way in which the program can be implemented on a wider scale in 2011.
Contacts:
Saul Karnovsky
Tutoring Program听Coordinator, 麻豆直播
Email: saul.karnovsky@curtin.edu.au 听
Flavia Zeps
Curtin Link Up Co-coordinator, 麻豆直播
Email: f.zeps@curtin.edu.au听
Andrea Barnard, Public Relations, 麻豆直播
Tel: 08 9266 4241, Mobile: 0401 103 755, Email: andrea.barnard@curtin.edu.au 听
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