School of the AirThe
Alice Springs School of the Air is probably the most publicized school
in Australia, and one of the few unique educational institutions of the
world. When established in 1951, it was the first school of its
type in the world. Although there are now a number of Schools of
the Air in most states of Australia, the Alice Springs school has always
been associated with the outback image.
Each
of the Schools of the Air now operating in Australia, with the exception
of Katherine and the Capricornia Centre in Rockhampton, started by using
the facilities of the Royal Flying Doctor Service; and most still
do. However in the Northern Territory, the Alice Springs and
Katherine schools operate out of their own buildings using their own
radio frequencies and broadcasting equipment. In
other states, Schools of the Air are extensions of the States' various
Education Department correspondence schools. The two Northern Territory
schools provide correspondence courses and radio lessons with two-way
radio, as well as teacher visits to students at home. |
| Snap Shot | |
|
ESTABLISHED |
1951 (Australia's first)
|
|
BROADCAST AREA |
1.3 million square
kilometres
|
| ENROLLMENT |
Approximately 140
|
| AGE OF STUDENTS |
From four to 12/13 years
|
| STAFF |
14 teachers
|
| CLASS SIZE |
8 to 18
|
| FUNDED BY |
Northern Territory Department of Education
|
| EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS |
Supplied by the School. Parents pay a resource fee of $100 per year.
|
| RADIO |
High Frequency - School
has own frequency, 3 channels
|
| HOME TUTOR |
Approximately 30% of
families employ a home tutor
|
|
|
|
|
General Information |
|
| How many Aboriginal students? |
Currently there are 36. The major obstacle for Aboriginal children is that the English language correspondence lessons require supervision at home by an adult with good English language reading and writing skills. |
| Where is the furthest student? |
Just over 1,000 kms from Alice Springs. |
|
How much radio time? |
Students spend up to half an hour on the radio each day. Each student also has a personal, 10 minute lesson with the class teacher once a week. The radio lessons are supplementary to the correspondence work done at home. |
| How much correspondence work? |
Students spend 5 to 6 hours a day, five days a week, working on their lessons at home. The lessons are prepared by teachers at the school and supervised by an adult in the child's home. |
| Who supervises the lessons? |
Most often the child's parents, usually mum. Only 30% of families currently employ a home tutor. |
|
Source: www.assoa.nt.edu.au (Association of Schools of the Air) |