Applications Called For School Study Support Centre

Education Minister Trevor Mallard is inviting primary schools and community groups in low decile areas to apply for funding for study support centres.

The Government announced in this year's Budget that it would spend $7.5 million over four years for study support centres (also known as homework centres) based in primary and intermediate schools in low decile centres.

Today Trevor Mallard said the Government hoped to establish about 150 centres throughout the country and said the application process was now open. He said preference will be given to joint applications from community groups and schools, or to groups of schools that work co-operatively to meet community needs.

"This is an important aspect of our closing the gaps objective," Trevor Mallard said.

"It is really important that children gain good study skills and habits before they reach secondary school. Many children's home circumstances do not support this for a range of reasons.

"Centres of this type have operated on an ad hoc basis for sometime now. There have been some wonderful success stories and we want to help establish more as well as supporting existing centres which often run under great uncertainty.

"Funding for study support centres will depend on how many hours they are open and how many children they are supporting. Centres will have to be supervised by registered teachers, but there may also be other supportive adults.

"All study clinics will have access to computers, internet access and other suitable resource material such as reference books.

"This is an exciting initiative which I hope communities throughout the country will get behind," Trevor Mallard said.

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