19th July 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A small tutoring program in Winnipeg has just completed its first year, and is reporting successful results. The program provides personal tuition for Eritrean expats, of which there are 1,300 in Winnipeg, and is based out of the Eritrean community in the city.
The problem is that many Eritreans have missed large chunks of school, or have arrived from refugee camps, and the drop-out rate from Winnipeg Junior High, and high schools was massive. It’s just not feasible to expect students to catch up on what they’ve missed with normal school lessons, which is where the personal tuition plan comes in.
Tutors are paid for two of every three lessons they conduct, and, as well as helping with school assignments, also tutor students in ESL (English as a second language). The program has already received $20,000 in funding, and is preparing more tutoring classes for the autumn. Lambros Kyriakakos, president of the Eritrean Community in Winnipeg said of the results “We see them for ourselves in student’s improved report cards, grades and marks. That is the real delight.“