Online Tutoring Program

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:37): I am really pleased to be able to update the house about a very exciting initiative that I am confident will, in the years to come, become part of our education firmament, particularly in public education in South Australia. I am talking about the Learning+ online tutoring program, which is focused on enhancing our ability to support children and young people in our public schools in their maths learning, an area where successive international comparisons to standardised tests around the world have identified a decline in Australian outcomes, one we seek to address.

Mathematics is, of course, a core concept. It is tremendously important for our economic future that we have a highly skilled and highly knowledgeable workforce, particularly in some of those science, technology, engineering and mathematics-focused fields. We know that mathematics is a core concept at the centre of so much scientific study and research, and its application in people's work lives will only increase in the years to come.

This is especially so in South Australia, where we have this dramatic opportunity to take advantage of a $90 billion program of works in shipbuilding and defence projects from the commonwealth government, in the Australian Space Agency, SmartSat CRC, Mission Control and all the other space-related primes setting up at Lot Fourteen in that space industry and, indeed, in the rapidly growing cyber industry right around the world, which has seen so many extra jobs being created, including right here in Australia.

Indeed, these are jobs that in many cases can be done from anywhere in the world, and there is no better place in the world to see a young person interested in the future of cyber than here in South Australia, where we now have the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, as well as cyber-focused companies investing in South Australia looking to employ young people, and we have a new cyber traineeship that is doing very well.

The future of jobs is really going to be enhanced by a solid foundation in our school students doing maths. That is why we want to increase the engagement and the outcomes for young learners in maths. Our Learning+ program is about students getting access to free one-to-one tutoring and our pilot is focusing on year 6 and year 8 students. We are providing that online tutoring free for up to 2,000 students this year. Each student has the opportunity to engage in online tutoring for 30 minutes twice a week for 10 weeks. The tutoring occurs after school and on weekends, meaning that students do not miss out on any classroom time through their participation.

The students selected to engage in the pilot have varying mathematical abilities. This approach will enable us to evaluate the impact of the tutoring program across student cohorts. Students are matched with a tutor for the duration of their program, and tutors provide a personalised learning experience by identifying individual student needs and delivering tailored sessions that support academic growth and independent learning.

I am told that the approach and the delivery method align with the research and evidence about tutoring. During the program, tutors are providing updates to the student's classroom teacher on at least three occasions. We know that tutoring is more effective when it is delivered in short, regular sessions over a set period of time and when it is aligned to the school curriculum, helping the students with the sort of work they need help with to exceed and to excel in their own classrooms.

Research also indicates that the quality of the tutor is fundamental for achieving successful outcomes for students. I tell you, sir, the tutors selected to participate in this pilot program are qualified teachers registered in South Australia. They have expertise in planning for an individual's learning needs. They have been provided with a thorough induction and opportunities to connect with their peers and experts, and they are doing a great job. Indeed, the University of Melbourne has been engaged to design tutor professional learning and resources for the pilot.

We are delivering it online, which means that the students from across the state can access the program from Streaky Bay to Whyalla and from Keith to Cobdogla, and students in Kingscote are accessing the program. It is tremendously important that those regional and rural students can benefit. It is possibly one of the key things that will help us to deliver better outcomes for students in areas that might not have a specialist teacher.

More than 200 qualified teachers have been onboarded as tutors, and 500 year 6 students from 66 schools are participating in the pilot program over terms 1 and 2, and the year 8 cohort will commence tutoring sessions in term 2 across 31 schools. Can I tell members that the feedback we have had so far from families, from students and from the tutors themselves has been tremendous. Telethon Kids Institute has been engaged to conduct an evaluation, and we are looking forward to seeing how that shapes the program.

I want to give my congratulations to Marina Elliott, Justine Rodda and the team who have been working on it, as well as John Mastropaolo from Grange Primary School (which was highlighted in the paper recently), and to all the students and the teachers who have engaged with the program. I cannot wait to see the benefit it will bring the people of South Australia and particularly our students.

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