Advice Needed: Maths Help for Disadvantaged Students

Jippo

I would like any of yer thoughts on the following.

I am an Irish maths postgraduate student interested in giving free maths 'tutorials' to disadvantaged Higher Level Maths Leaving Cert students. What I mean by 'tutorial' is that I will run a maths question and answers session. I can only commit to 1 or 2 hours a week with my own work and I intend it so that the students come into UCC for an hour of an evening. If they have any questions whatsoever be they theoretical or a specific question in their book/ exam paper I would answer it on the board or whatever. Students if they want can just come in and listen.

I wouldn’t be too concerned with students coming in looking for the homework to be done on the board. The way I teach I never just write down the answer – there has to be a big speel explaining all the elements of the answer so they’ll be benefitting either way.

I don’t envisage any problems getting support from UCC regarding getting a room.

I want to send an open letter to schools to give to all students in my area. Within the letter will be the terms of eligibility. I am considering using receipt of the back to school allowance as satisfying "disadvantaged". I have contacted both the Department of Social Welfare and the HSE trying find out is it possible that students/ parents would find it easy to get a letter stating that the family received this payment. They haven’t replied.

Any other definitions of “disadvantaged” that might be more workable?

Regards.

blondie7

id be going more on there grades more so than if the family are in receipt of Social welfare payments. Perhaps liaise with the School teachers and see who they would recommend should attend, perhaps limit the number of Students per school that may attend

Jippo

blondie7 wrote: »

id be going more on there grades more so than if the family are in receipt of Social welfare payments. Perhaps liaise with the School teachers and see who they would recommend should attend, perhaps limit the number of Students per school that may attend

I'd be targetting kids who are looking to improve but the parents can't afford costly grinds.

blondie7

Jippo wrote: »

I'd be targetting kids who are looking to improve but the parents can't afford costly grinds.

i dont think many parents can afford costly grinds in this day and age. Are you targeting ordinary or higher level maths students or even foundation level? How about liaising with the schools in disadvanted areas of Cork, most have welfare officers that would assist you im sure. Im assuming you only have spare time in the evenings? Just remember when your working with kids you need to make sure you have your Garda Vetting done, if you contact your local Garda Station they will advise more on this, or you may already hold a youth warrant if you work with kids already

Jippo

blondie7 wrote: »

i dont think many parents can afford costly grinds in this day and age. Are you targeting ordinary or higher level maths students or even foundation level? How about liaising with the schools in disadvanted areas of Cork, most have welfare officers that would assist you im sure. Im assuming you only have spare time in the evenings? Just remember when your working with kids you need to make sure you have your Garda Vetting done, if you contact your local Garda Station they will advise more on this, or you may already hold a youth warrant if you work with kids already

Higher Level only.

I would prefer to deal with students directly - I don't want to get involved with welfare officers at all. Don't need that kind of hassle. I want students who are looking for help but can't afford grinds. I want to deal with aspiring kids. If the kids aren't interested neither am I. I want to give them a mechanism of taking advantage of these tutorials off their own back.

Didn't think about the Garda Vetting - I might have to get onto that cheers.

Delicate_Dlite

I'm not sure if you have the same thing in UCC, but I know in Dublin there's an access program, new ERA in UCD. They help students from disadvantaged areas to go on to study in 3rd level education. And I believe that they offer free grinds to 5th/6th year students. I know that some undergrads volunteer and I'm sure they'd be really keen to have a postgrad help.

Good luck, it's a really nice thing you're trying to do.

Jippo

Delicate_Dlite wrote: »

I'm not sure if you have the same thing in UCC, but I know in Dublin there's an access program, new ERA in UCD. They help students from disadvantaged areas to go on to study in 3rd level education. And I believe that they offer free grinds to 5th/6th year students. I know that some undergrads volunteer and I'm sure they'd be really keen to have a postgrad help.

Good luck, it's a really nice thing you're trying to do.

That's great, cheers. I'll ask them for some ideas and how they define "disadvantaged"/

Delicate_Dlite

Your welcome.

Well I think they base it on the schools, if a school is located within a certain area that is deemed as disadvantaged. (amount of ppl who go on to 3rd level/amount of unemployed, I think)

Any student within that school is offered trips to the college/grinds etc.

gra26

You shouldn't need to be Garda vetted if the students are coming to you in the university, only if you are going to them in the school. I was working with second level Maths students in the 09/10 school year In my university and didn't need to be Garda vetted. We did ask the university to check this for us as it was something we thought we might need.

Jippo

Delicate_Dlite wrote: »

Your welcome.

Well I think they base it on the schools, if a school is located within a certain area that is deemed as disadvantaged. (amount of ppl who go on to 3rd level/amount of unemployed, I think)

Any student within that school is offered trips to the college/grinds etc.

I don't want a load of students from a "disadvantaged area" getting help when they are not really in need of it and even more pressingly there are students in perfectly "normal" areas and schools who may in reality be disadvantaged.

To be blunt I went to a school in a fine area but I lived on a council estate and to be honest the money for grinds wouldn't really have been there. I was lucky in that it was a good public school and I had a good teacher but just because a student is in a "nice" area and goes to a good school doesn't mean he/she is getting the support at home or at school.

It would be ideal if a letter could be given to all schools in the area, explaining that with proof of the qualifying criteria, I will help you out in your maths for free, etc. I originally thought in receipt of social welfare but every man and his dog is on welfare these days (especially stamps). I can't take too many students on (very presumptious here!!). The next best thing would be receipt of back to school allowance, which I know is stricter. I'm just wondering how much hassle would it be for a student to prove that their parent got the back to school allowance?

Any other ideas - thanks for the help but I'm trying to do something very specific as you can see.