Free tutoring is back for struggling students

Foto RP taller de reforçIn a press conference this morning, the Formentera Council's office of social welfare unveiled its programme of free academic tutoring. The extra classes, explained department head Vanessa Parellada, are “for all five and six year students with learning difficulties or trouble following the normal rhythm of classes” and particularly “those students who require extra help transitioning to the school setting, or who've got difficulties in languages or maths”.

The 3.5-month tutoring course will start 7 March and continue through year end, picking up again in September for the first semester of the 2016-17 school year. Over the last four years 91 students have benefitted from the free classes. Says Parellada, the decision to extend the programme—which costs the Council €11,000—is due to its success.

This time around, some 20 students are expected to take part in the classes, which have been scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Both Maribel Jiménez, the coordinating teacher, and staff at Formentera schools, will decide which students are in need of the added help. Parents of interested students must complete an application at the office of social welfare by 3 March.

According to Jiménez, the tutoring sessions will be aimed at fostering success through motivation-minded, daily work. “Our starting point”, Jiménez explained, “will be the class work students are expected to complete—in English, Spanish, Catalan and maths. We'll work up from there”. The students' work will have the added benefit of promoting team work and social integration, since classes will be held in groups.