13.5.3 Additional Tuition
See paragraph 5.2 of the Instruments
Paragraph 5.2 of the VCES and MRCAETS Instruments provides the Commission with the power to grant additional tuition funding to students where there is a discrepancy between the student’s intellectual potential and their actual academic achievements.
Requests for additional tuition
The discrepancy must be established by the relevant education authority. The relevant education authority is the school, university or other education institution where the student is currently undertaking study. A request for additional tuition must be accompanied by an appropriate assessment from the education authority establishing the value of the proposed tuition. In most instances, the student’s lecturer, teacher, special education coordinator, or school deputy principal will provide the information requested in the form.
Additional tuition is intended to provide short-term assistance to students who are struggling in their studies where their usual performance has been hindered by circumstances beyond their control. For example, additional tuition may be provided to students who have been absent from school for long period due to illness, who have transferred schools and are struggling to maintain their previous academic achievements, or who have experienced a loss of a parent or family member and this loss has impacted their studies. In such cases additional tuition can assist the student to make sure that these circumstances do not permanently disadvantage their education.
Additional tuition is not intended to aid students who have achieved lesser results due to a lack of effort or to enable students to produce a higher level of result than would normally be expected. Additional tuition is also not intended to assist students who have never shown a particular aptitude in a subject to improve their results in that subject.
What is "tuition"?
"Tuition" is not defined in the Instruments, however ordinarily tuition refers to instruction or teaching, and in this context implies providing extra instructional support to address a specific educational discrepancy. A lesson plan, for example, may be part of an instructional process but the term tuition implies direct guidance, teaching, and interaction between a tutor/educator and the student. A comprehensive response to additional tuition should involve personalised and targeted instruction to bridge the gap between a student's intellectual potential and their actual academic achievement.
Approving requests
Before approving funding, the education authority must confirm that appropriate remedial teaching facilities have been utilised by the student (through the institution or another source), or that such facilities have not achieved the desired result. Additional tuition funding is intended to be utilised in addition to assistance available through the institution, not instead of that assistance.
In cases where students have identified learning difficulties which may be of longer term duration, additional tuition can be provided where it is shown that academic improvements can be made. In such cases, a professional assessment may be required to establish the student’s intellectual potential and determine what assistance can be provided or adapted to best target their learning difficulties. It is recommended that students with long-term learning difficulties be monitored by the Schemes staff to establish if any other education based assistance can be offered to the student.
Reviewing progress reports
Tutors are required to provide a brief report on the work covered by the student and an assessment of the student's progress during the tuition period. The reports should outline the student's progress, actions taken to address any identified issues and the effectiveness of the tuition. Where a provider is unable to demonstrate how their support was of value to the student, such support would not be covered by additional tuition.
Arranging payment
Commission does not arrange the additional tuition, but can allocate funding for that tuition. Tutors are located and engaged by the student, their parent, guardian, or the school. Parents are required to ensure that any tutor who invoices DVA for tutoring provided to a student receiving the Schemes’ benefits, MUST have a valid working with children check.
Tutors may invoice directly for payment. However they are also required to submit the VCES/MRCAETS Claim for payment which includes the parent’s/guardian’s signature confirming that the service has been received.
Continued assistance
Additional tuition is granted for a prescribed period as determined by the Education Scheme Secretary. If the student is applying for additional tuition for subsequent periods, the appropriate assessment form must outline the continuing need for such assistance. Requests for continuing additional tuition must be accompanied by a report from the tutor outlining the work covered, progress made by the student, and the value in continuing tuition.
Maximum amount payable
Note: Annual rates of Additional Tuition (and Special Assistance) payable under the Schemes are provided in Commission Decision (CM7346) ratified at the meeting held on 3 November 2017.
Effective from 1 January 2018, the maximum annual amount payable in relation to Additional Tuition is $3,500.
The responsible Executive Level 1 may approve a further $2,000 per annum of Additional Tuition per student where required.
Any application for Additional Tuition funding that exceeds the above limits must be approved by the Commissions.
Shared care situations
The maximum amount of Additional Tuition funding is payable per child. Where parents or carers have shared care of that child, Additional Tuition claims can be made by either parent or carer, and claims can be actioned up to that combined limit from either parent, regardless of their percentage of care.
Additional Tuition claims from any person eligible to make such a claim on behalf of a child are actioned on a first come first, first serve basis. Importantly, the claimants must show that the criteria for the Additional Tuition payment is met on every occasion.