After School Tutorial Centres

Every day after school, 12 year old Yulia makes her way to the local community centre where she attends an after-school tutorial center. Her teachers referred her to the tutorial center because she was falling behind in her studies. There she receives a hot meal that she would not receive at home, since her parents are both unemployed, as well as individual attention both in her studies and on a personal level.

"Yulia would cosntantly be in fights with her parents. They thought that she was a bad student," notes Ronni, the co-ordinator of the Centre; who maintains constant contact with the teachers and families of all the children at the center. "She used to wander around downtown after school and her parents worried about the type of people she was hanging out with. In fact, she is exceptionally intelligent, but was preoccupied with the problems in her home, so she couldn't concentrate on her studies. After only three months in the tutorial centre, Yulia's teachers have already noted a marked improvement in her studies and feel that she has a bright future ahead of her."

ISRAEL IS IN CRISIS
The Jewish Agency, in conjunction with the Association for the Advancement of Education, operates a network of After-School Tutorial Centers throughout Israel to provide enrichment and support for immigrants as well as second and third generation Israeli children. The After-School Tutorial Network operates in kindergartens and schools throughout Israel, providing the children with a hot lunch, assistance in their studies and enrichment programmes. In addition to providing homework assistance, the Centres address the children's physical and psychological needs. The Centres provide a constructive framework for the children, keeping them off the streets and away from negative influences and enabling both parents to enter the work-force, knowing that their children are in a positive, educational environment.