Tasmanian Academy general manager Graeme Young said teachers were taking accredited training to teach their colleagues on how to help students.

Colleges already offer English and maths programs for students who need it and it is understood there is an increasing number of students taking such classes.

``Teachers undertake professional learning programs including functional grammar, so they can help students to improve their writing in all subject areas across the curriculum,'' Mr Young said.

He said 25 teachers from across all eight colleges had been accredited in the program How Language Works this year.

These teachers are now teaching 36 of their peers in weekly sessions across the state.

Mr Young said that by the end of 2012 there would be 61 trained teachers in year 11 and 12, with more to be trained next year.

Remedial classes are also offered at the Tasmanian Polytechnic and Skills Institute.

A department spokeswoman said yesterday that it could not provide numbers on how many college and Vocational Education and Training students take a remedial class.

The University of Tasmania's preparation program and diploma of university Studies manager Lynn Jarvis said that there had been an increasing number of students taking the courses to get them up to a level expected of them in academia.

However this was on the back of the federal government's push to increase the number of university graduates, and as more mature age and VET students move into tertiary study.

``The number of students taking such courses is certainly increasing as the university offers more pathways and that for the first time, university can be a real option for people who have not finished year 12,'' Ms Jarvis said.