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School of the Air

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School of the Air's studio in Alice Springs in 2005.

School of the Air is a generic term for correspondence schools catering for the primary and early secondary education of children in remote and outback Australia where some or all classes were traditionally conducted by radio, although this is now being replaced by internet technology. In these areas, the school-age population is too small for a conventional school to be viable .

History

The first School of the Air lessons were officially broadcast from the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Alice Springs on 8 June 1951.[1] The service celebrated 50th anniversary on 9 May 2001, ahead of the actual anniversary on 8 June.[2][3][4] Each state of Australia that utilises this means of education has well documented reviews and overviews of the service.[5]

Method

There are school of the air programmes in all states except Tasmania.[6]

School classes were conducted via shortwave radio from 2003 until 2009,[7] after which most schools switched to wireless internet technologies to deliver lessons that include live one-way video feeds and clear two-way audio.[8][9][10][11][12]

Each student has direct contact with a teacher in a major inland town such as Broken Hill, Alice Springs or Meekatharra. Each student typically spends one hour per day receiving group or individual lessons from the teacher, and the rest of the day working through the assigned materials with a parent, older sibling or a hired home-stay tutor.

Traditionally, the students received their course materials and returned their written work and projects to their hub centre using either the Royal Flying Doctor Service or post office services. However the extension of Internet services into the outback now enables more rapid review of each child's homework.

As the children are in isolated situations, the School of the Air is frequently their first chance of socialization with children outside their immediate family. This is supplemented by 3 or 4 annual gatherings where the children travel to the school to spend one week with their teacher and classmates.

Studies have shown that such education has a parity with if not better standard than traditional methods of schooling.[13]

Schools of the Air

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "World's First School Air Opened". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 9 June 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  2. ^ Ashton, Jean (1978) School of the air . Adelaide : Rigby, 1978 Previously published as Out of the silence, Adelaide: Investigator Press, 1971. ISBN 0-7270-0985-0
  3. ^ Western Australia. Education Dept & Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. Western Australian Section (1968). In The school of the air. Govt. Pr, [Perth
  4. ^ New South Wales. Dept. of Education. Public Relations Office (1969). In School of the Air. Govt. Pr, [Sydney
  5. ^ Calzoni, F (1991). In The Australian School of the Air: a conceptual analysis of its origins, history and recent developments, with particular reference to distance education in Western Australia 1955-1990. Murdoch University
  6. ^ http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/school-of-the-air In 2005, there were more than sixteen schools of the air located around Australia, a network covering more than 1.5 million square kilometres. In fact, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory are the only states who do not have a SOA.... these schools also teach children who are travelling around Australia or who can't, for medical or other reasons, attend a regular school.
  7. ^ Some sources suggest later Students not to be taught through the Royal Flying Doctor Service. SatWeb introduced. re - the Kimberley School of the Air.Broome advertiser, 16 Dec. 2004, p.4
  8. ^ "New wings for schools of the air". The Age. Melbourne. 11 February 2003.
  9. ^ Bond, Donald S & Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (1978). In Satellite communications for the school of the air in Australia. Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd, Sydney ISBN 0-908522-09-6
  10. ^ Forster, M. F & Katherine School of the Air (1981). In Domestic satellite and the School of the Air. Katherine School of the Air, Katherine, N.T
  11. ^ Crump, Stephen & Twyford, Kylie & Anderson, Alan & Towers, Lorraine & Devlin, Brian et al. (2010). Australian Research Council Linkage project on Interactive Distance eLearning : 'Opening Our Eyes' : project report. In Interactive distance learning for isolated communities : ARCL project discussion papers 2008-2010.
  12. ^ Crump, Stephen & Twyford, Kylie & Littler, Margaret (2010). Interactive distance e-learning for isolated communities : the policy footprint. In Interactive distance learning for isolated communities : ARCL project discussion papers 2008-2010.
  13. ^ Imamura, E (1987). In Conventional and nonconventional schooling: a comparison of pupil performance in rural schools and schools of the air. University of Western Australia
  14. ^ http://www.mtisasde.eq.edu.au// School of the Air – Mount Isa
  15. ^ McKerrow, Helen & Mt. Isa School of the Air. P. & C. Association (1985). In Over to you : the first 25 years of the School-of-the-Air in North-West Queensland. Mt Isa School-of-the-Air P & C Association, [Mt Isa, Qld.]
  16. ^ Lacey, LloydDistance education by satellite: the experience of the trial use of Aussat at the School of the Air, Mt Isa. -Qld-. In New Horizons: Aussat '86: Conference & Exhibition 5 & 6 November 1986. 201-210.
  17. ^ http://www.mtisasde.eq.edu.au/touristInfo.html
  18. ^ http://www.chartowsde.qld.edu.au/
  19. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s140221.htm about Longreach
  20. ^ http://charlevisde.eq.edu.au/wcms/
  21. ^ King, Mark (1 August 2007). "Australia's school of the air". The Guardian. London.
  22. ^ Katherine School of the Air (1981). In School of the Air, Katherine, Northern Territory of Australia. Katherine School of the Air, Katherine, N.T
  23. ^ Alice Springs School of the Air (2001). In Alice Springs School of the Air. Alice Springs School of the Air, [Alice Springs, N.T
  24. ^ Alice Springs School of the Air (1991). In 40th birthday radio lesson booklet : week ending 8 June 1991. The School, [Alice Springs, N.T.]
  25. ^ Broken Hill School of the Air (1957). In Over to you : annual magazine of the School of the Air. The School, Broken Hill, N.S.W
  26. ^ Australia - the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air [kit] / photographed by James H. Barr ; commentary spoken by Edmond Pegge ; notes by Winifred M. Barker and James H. Barr. St. Albans, Herts. (England) : Hugh Baddeley Productions, 1984. 34 slides, 1 sound cassette, 1 sheet ; in box 24 x 36 x 2 cm. re Broken Hill School of the Air.
  27. ^ Gibb, Phyllis (1986). In Classrooms a world apart : the story of the founding of the Broken Hill School of the Air. Spectrum, Melbourne. ISBN 0-86786-101-0 ISBN 0867861029 (pbk.)
  28. ^ http://www.tibooburra-d.schools.nsw.edu.au/
  29. ^ Lewis, Jo & Penfold, Chris & Port Hedland School of the Air (1989). In School of the Air : working together - apart : 1964-1989 : a silver anniversary project. Port Hedland School of the Air, [Port Hedland, W.A
  30. ^ Port Augusta School of the Air (1979). In Information booklet. School of the Air, Port Augusta, [Port Augusta, S. Aust
  31. ^ Lloyd, Patricia & Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (2003). In You can't say no. Royal Flying Doctor Service, [Adelaide]
  32. ^ Motley, Carrie & Starr, Bill (1990). In Bush tracks and radio waves : a history of Port Augusta School of the Air, 1958-1990. Tread Softly Pub, [Australia]
  33. ^ Kimberley School of the Air (2000). In School days on the airwaves : 40 years of Kimberley School of the Air. Kimberley School of the Air, [Derby, W.A.]
  34. ^ Kimberley School of the Air (1990). In Kimberley School of the Air, 1960-1990 : 30th anniversary magazine. The School, [Derby, W.A.?]
  35. ^ One of the world's largest classrooms. Details of 40th birthday celebrations.of the Kimberley School of the Air. Broome advertiser, 13 Dec. 2000, p.30-31
  36. ^ Fitzpatrick, Jim & Western Australian Education Dept. Research Branch (1983). In The Carnarvon School of the Air : a study of the Parents and Citizens' Association and its interaction with the Education Department. Education Dept. of Western Australia, Research Branch, [Perth, W.A.]
  37. ^ http://www.emerge.net.au/~kalsota/
  38. ^ Looking around.Kalgoorlie [W.A.] : Kalgoorlie School of the Air, 1965-1976.Battye Library has part of the series only - see http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1852139~S2
  39. ^ Aerial / Meekatharra School of the Air. Also Titled Wisdom by Wireless. Meekatharra, W.A. : The School, 1959-
  40. ^ Meekatharra School of the Air (1984). In Wisdom by wireless : twenty five years, 1959-1984. Reads Printing & Pub, [Perth, W.A.]
  41. ^ Hobson, Valerie.(1999) Shirley Forrester, elder of the bush. Outlines her own experiences in being educated as a student from rural WA and her contributions to rural education in Meekatharra including her establishment of the Meekatharra School of the Air, and her many achievements. in Network news for rural, remote and regional women, Summer, 1999, p. 14
  42. ^ http://www.distance.vic.edu.au

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