As the Voluntary Tuition Programme celebrates its twentieth anniversary, ‘NewsFour’ looks at the benefits to the 5000 local people who have availed of the successful programme
Back in the mid-eighties a local woman asked the Social Service Centre in Westland Row for help with her son who was struggling with maths. This led to Trinity College being approached with a request for college students to act as voluntary tutors.

Negotiations began with Susan Parks of Trinity College Education Department, which resulted in Trinity student Eddie Manning providing tuition for one child at the beginning of the year and finishing with six more joining by the end of the year. Over time more pupils and students came on board and this has evolved into the VTP (Voluntary Tuition Programme) which runs so successfully today.

Funded by various local bodies, the programme offers children choice when it comes to their education. The VTP celebrated its 20th anniversary recently. “We aim to encourage and inspire students and to show them that with a solid education almost anything is possible,” explains TCD student Damian Hanlon, Vice Chairman of the VTP.

The programme currently provides one-to-one tuition to nearly 400 primary and secondary schools from Ringsend, Sandymount and the Pearse Street area. In order for the programme to continue each year there is a huge drive during fresher week in Trinity to recruit approximately 250 new students that will go on to service the programme.

Pupils and students meet once a week every week for the school year. This is a huge commitment from both pupils and Trinity students alike, not to mention the parents and community volunteers. The VTP with its partner, the St Andrew’s Resource Centre, run a number of smaller educational programmes such as the Voluntary In-School initiative for teaching, which gives classes in French and Science at primary level.

As a former beneficiary of the programme Hanlon, who lives in Sandymount, is aware of the need to support and motivate students in order to continue to allow students to achieve their full potential. Hanlon believes that while helping to build a child’s self esteem and confidence at an early age it is essential to demonstrate that the learning process can also be enjoyable.

When Hanlon noticed a need to encourage third year pupils who might otherwise drop out of education after the Junior Certificate he set up the Parallel Programme, which is designed to encourage pupils to stay in school through one-to-one tuition and extra curricular activities. “For many adolescents, second level schooling can be a form of involuntary incarceration,” he says. “Many find themselves in an environment that is socially intimidating to them. Schools must conform to a curriculum that students often have difficulty relating to.”

It is hardly surprising then that many reject it. Hanlon believes that the only way forward is to recognise that the school will become the central and dominant building block in child development, with the family and community playing more of a role.

He also believes that for students to get that maximum benefit from their education there should be benchmarking for teachers, so that problems in the classroom can be dealt with. The programme often picks up on issues that are unnoticed or ignored in schools.

Most would accept that the future of our children lies in their education. Betty Watson, Ann Murray and Dolores Salmon put children in touch with the VTP, not just to complete their education but also to qualify for third level education and secure employment.These women were founder members of Adult Education Department in St Andrew’s Resource Centre.

The VTP is run as a student-community initiative and this partnership between Trinity students, parents and volunteers from the local communities of Westland Row, City Quay has created over five thousand pairs of pupil and student tuition partnerships over the past twenty years. Those who know the value of education will hope the programme continues for at least another twenty.

For more information on the VTP contact Betty Watson at St Andrew’s Resource Centre on 01 6771930

Above: David Norris cuts the cake!