The Victorian Government is extending its Tutor Learning Initiative in 2023. This should allow local students continue to get benefits from the program and enhance their education experience.
Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas announced $258.4 million to further extend the Tutor Learning Initiative to allow Victorian schools to retain the tutors that supported students throughout 2022.
More than 99,500 students in government schools have received tutoring support so far this year, with in excess of 2,000 schools again participating and government schools employing more than 5,150 tutors.
Principal of Daylesford College, Steve MacPhail said,
“Daylesford College has been part of the Tutor Learning Initiative for the past few years and are excited to hear of its continued funding. This program has allowed us to provide one-on-one and small group tutoring to students in need of extra support in the areas of literacy and numeracy.
It has also allowed us to run extension programs in Maths and English for students in need of extension. Overall, a worthwhile program initiative that is proving itself worthwhile with great results. Daylesford College is now the highest achieving government school for miles around (from Melton to Ararat, from Ballarat to Bendigo and every government high school in between).”
The Tutor Learning Initiative was first announced during COVID for the 2021 school year to suppport remote and flexible learning in 2020. It was continued again in 2022.
The tutor program calls on pre-service teachers, teachers on leave, retired teachers and casual relief teachers to sign up and get back in the classroom – with at least one tutor in all government schools.
In 2021 and 2022 tutors worked both in the classroom and through remote learning to identify and support the students who needed extra help with their learning.
The tutors have had a positive impact in schools. An independent evaluation by Deloitte found that the benefits of the Tutor Learning Initiative extended beyond academic achievement to include improvements in student engagement and teacher practice.
Schools are responsible for employing their tutors based on the needs of their students, with tutors offering a range of expertise, experience and support to the students who need it most.
Tutors work in small groups to provide tailored support for identified students who need assistance to catch up – regardless of their circumstances or background.
The extension of tutors in 2023 will also ensure teaching teams can continue to provide dedicated and individualised support for students who need help.
Individual schools determine how tutoring support is implemented, ensuring the program is tailored to the needs of each student – to ensure all students build key skills in numeracy and literacy.
