To help students catch up on any learning loss experienced due to COVID-19 lockdowns and learning from home, the NSW Nationals in the state government have announced the extension of the COVID Intensive Learning Support Program into next year.
Following the positive reception and uptake of the 2021 program, the NSW Nationals in the state government are committing an additional $383 million to continue to support students next year.
Early insights from the ongoing evaluation of the program show that students are bouncing back thanks to the program’s intensive tutoring, which has been delivered by educators in partnership with classroom teachers.
The program also has exceeded its employment goal, employing more than 7,500 educators to date in government schools alone and providing employment opportunities right across the state.
Nationals Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the COVID Intensive Learning Support Program was introduced in Term 1 this year to help students who had fallen behind after last year’s disruptions, improve their core knowledge and skills.
“This program is based on research which demonstrates that small-group tuition is highly effective at getting students back on track,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Principals and teachers I have spoken with over the last few months have been unanimous in their support for the program in meeting their individual school and student needs.”
“Our additional investment for 2022 will continue the focus on literacy and numeracy and enable us to strengthen the provision of online tuition, ensuring greater accessibility to meet student need.”
The Department of Education will work with schools and key stakeholder groups during Term 4 to refine the program to ensure the greatest benefit is delivered for students who need it most.
