2020 NSW BUDGET: $337 million for tutoring in all NSW schools

Struggling students will have small-group tutors help them catch up on subjects missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. SEE HOW YOU CAN BECOME A TUTOR HERE.

Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell pictured speaking at a press conference in Edmondson Park, Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

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Students struggling in the classroom will be able to access free tutoring next year, as the government reveal a $337 million program in the lead up to the State Budget next week.

As many as 5500 tutors will be employed to deliver small-group teaching at each school from Term 1 next year at all public schools.

Each school will get an averag eof $130,000 worth of funding, equating to around 1700 hours of tutoring.

Funding will also support tutoring at a swathe of independent schools with increased need for support.

Tutors will be rolled out in schools across the state. (AAP IMAGE / Angelo Velardo)

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said optional check-in assessment, completed by students in years 3, 5, and 9, at 1700 schools across the state, showed “learning for many students stagnated during the pandemic” reassuring parents data from the check in will be “made public very soon” after calls from the NSW Opposition in the upper house for the data to be published.

“In terms of student-by-student basis, that will be up to parents and teachers to have that discussion,” she said. “We are not intending to publish that but we will give a snapshot of what the overall data showed us across the system.”

Ms Mitchell said a baseline of tutoring hours had been established for all schools across the state and called for casual and retired teachers, final year students and university tutors to express interest in taking up classroom tutoring.

A formal application process is expected to be rolled out this month.

“Tuition in small groups will help re-engage our students in their schooling,” she said.

“This program is designed to have maximum impact on student outcomes, because small-group tuition rapidly accelerates student learning.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet announce $337 million for school tutoring. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

A total of $31 million in funding will go to non-government schools with the greatest level of need, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing the government would “pick up the tab” for school tutoring in an effort to boost jobs.

Tutors can lodge interest in the campaign by visiting teach.nsw.edu.au.