With students Alberta-wide out of the classroom since Oct. 6, both free and paid tutoring services across Calgary are seeeing a demand increase.
A Calgary Tutoring Centre-issued statement said that tutors are uniquely valuable in helping students stay on top of work, especially out of the classroom.
When students eventually return to school, teachers will be pressed to get through the curriculum and might gloss over some tough-to-comprehend lessons, the statement says.
Since the announcement of the strike, the volume of calls and emails has increased for the tutor centre. Many of the centre’s tutors are university students who’ve recently gone through the school system and are familiar with the curriculum.
“They are well equipped and knowledgeable to teach the curriculum to our students,” the statement reads.
Though it is too early to confirm the teachers’ strike’s impact on United Way and their All in for Youth Tutoring Table program, the YMCA is monitoring demand across its six locations, adding capacity for both structured and unstructured programming as required, according to a United Way statement.
The program’s tutoring is volunteer-run and free, open to all school-aged students, and has a focus on high school students who may not otherwise have access to private tutoring.
“In addition to supporting their academic journeys, volunteers also act as positive role models and mentors, often providing students with career advice and personal experience and knowledge,” the statement reads.
Volunteers receive ongoing training about the curriculum and guiding youth.
Range of supports available at libraries throughout the city
Through job action, the Calgary Public Library is offering free virtual programs and digital resources, said to complement curriculum-based learning.
Resources include free online tutoring service in Alberta curriculum subjects and curriculum-based study guides and test prep in math, science and English.
The Library prides itself on supporting children’s learning at every age and stage and is committed to helping students stay on track this fall, according to a library-issued statement.
Province-made help available for students.
On top of city-wide strike-specific resources, Alberta Education and Childcare’s free learning toolkit provides parents with resources that follow the K-12 curriculum.
“The toolkit provides resources that follow the grades K-12 curriculum. The resources are available in English, French and French immersion and focus on the core subjects of language arts, social studies, math and sciences. These resources will be updated weekly,” a government-issued strike reads.
Despite being government-made, the toolkit is not mandatory for students.
“This toolkit provides a week-by-week guide for parents to follow the Alberta curriculum for each week and course subject. The toolkit begins with a learn component on Monday with select videos and other information to help students learn the concepts outlined for that week,” said Minister of Childcare and Education Demetrios Nicolaides.
“Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays provide parents with practice questions, worksheets and other activities to help students practice the new concepts that they have learned. Fridays are designated as mastery days where students can delve deeper into the content.”
