The Department of Education says 5,500 additional staff are to be employed to deliver small-group teaching at every NSW Government school, as well as non-Government schools with the most significant levels of need.
Premier, Gladys Berejiklian said people in NSW were working hard to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Government was committed to ensuring students’ educational outcomes continued to improve in 2021.
Ms Berejiklian said 2020 had been a disrupted year that included seven weeks of remote learning due to the pandemic, and in some areas that came on top of bushfires and floods.
“The Department of Education will support schools to identify students who would benefit the most from this intensive support, tailoring it to their requirements,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Sarah Mitchell called for educators across the State to express their interest in being part of the initiative.
She said they could include casual and retired teachers, final year teaching students, and university tutors, including PhD candidates who were already teaching undergraduate classes at university.
“We know that learning for many students stagnated during the pandemic and tuition in small groups will help re-engage our students in their schooling,” Ms Mitchell said.
“This program is designed to have maximum impact on student outcomes, because small-group tuition rapidly accelerates student learning.”
The program will begin in Term 1, 2021 and run throughout the school year.
Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet said the program would see a boost in employment for casual and part-time teachers and university tutors.
“It will not only support our students in their education but will also provide unprecedented employment opportunities for qualified teachers and university tutors who may be short on work,” Mr Perrottet said.
