Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Kelly Yates
FREE tutoring is being offered at Gleneagles Secondary College as part of its homework club.
Maxine Foster, student well being co-ordinator, said the school’s homework club was “on fire” this year, with 74 students taking advantage of the initiative last week.
The Years 7 to 12 students, many from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, spend one night a week getting extra help with their maths, sciences and English by volunteer tutors from the South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre.
“The kids are loving it and the numbers are growing as word spreads among the students,” Ms Foster said.
“We did a survey recently and many said they had encouraged their friends to come along.”
The students also get assistance with writing resumes, applying for part-time jobs and practising for their written driver’s test in the homework support program.
The program for 2010 is being delivered by the South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre and funded by the Centre for Multicultural Youth’s initiative ‘Learning Beyond the Bell’ best practice grants through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
CEO at the South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre Jenny Semple said the success of the program had been “extraordinary.”
“Gleneagles has shown what is possible when government and the community sector work effectively with dedicated teaching professionals,” Ms Semple said.
“The teachers at this school are an example to us all of what is possible with a little faith and a lot of goodwill.The homework club at Gleneagles Secondary College runs every Thursday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm.
