By Mitchell Clarke
Catholic schools across the Cardinia Shire and City of Casey are on the hunt for qualified or soon-to-be qualified teachers to assist in catching students up post pandemic.
A total $250 million State Government package will see a whopping 4100 tutors deployed across all schools next year to ensure “no student is left behind” in the wake of Covid-19.
The Diocese of Sale – which represents eight schools in Cardinia and 10 in Casey – will receive a share in $30 million to employ 600 tutors across non-government schools across Victoria.
Education Minister James Merlino said the package would also provide work for thousands as the economy slowly reopens.
He anticipated around 80 per cent of the tutor roles would be filled by women, who have been the most impacted financially.
“We know some students thrived during remote learning, but we also know some struggled. This is about ensuring that no student is left behind,” Mr Merlino said.
Individual schools will determine how the tutoring support is best implemented, but the tutors will provide targeted teaching to students, with a focus on foundational skills including literacy and numeracy.
Of the total figure, $8.6 million will be dedicated to family engagement initiatives to support schools working with families to lift outcomes and re-engage students with learning.
With tutors set to begin employment from the beginning of 2021, the Diocese of Sale are taking expressions of interest for roles across the state’s south east.
Schools in the Diocese include St Patrick’s Primary School in Pakenham and St Francis Xavier College, which has campuses in Officer, Beaconsfield and Berwick.
Diocese of Sale director of catholic education Maria Kirkwood said tutors would be employed to work alongside teachers to assist students requiring additional support.
“Tutors will have the opportunity to work under the guidance of expert classroom teachers, in order to target teaching to address the needs of these students,” she said.
Expressions of interest can be registered on the Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd website.
