10th May 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
In Atlanta teachers are being hired to specifically tutor foster Children, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Georgia child welfare agency has pledged $7.4 million to the scheme despite cash-strapped schools in the area having to lay teachers off.
The program, called Education 2010, has been created because of the shocking figures regarding the academic progress of foster children. In 2006 roughly a third of foster children had received their high school diploma or GED by their 18th birthday. By 2008 this figure rose to 47.2%, but this is still dramatically lower than the state average, where 78.9% of students graduate on time.
It’s hoped that the tutors will really help foster children in Atlanta, since private tuition is known to create a massive improvement in the majority of cases. Also, many of the tutors will be ex-teachers (some who have been recently made redundant, as mentioned above), so they will be aware of each child’s progress within school.
However, it has been highlighted that the reasons for poor performance among foster children may not necessarily be helped by having a private tutor. Many of the children are already in counselling, and have problems beyond their school studies.