The Alice Springs School of the Air began offering remote students access to education in 1951. Through interactive and engaging distance education, they offera wide range of educational services and activities to isolated school children, from Pre school to Year 9, in the southern half of the Northern Territory, the extreme north of South Australia, as well as globally.
Many students live on cattle stations, in Indigenous communities, camel farms, national parks, mining camps, road houses, remote police stations and tourist ventures. With some students staying with the school from the start of their primary education all the way through until the end of Year 9.
The technology used allows students access to quality teaching, national curriculum content, personalised learning as well as feedback and assessment.
The technology has developed dramatically over the last few years.The software known as REACT (Remote Education And Conferencing Tool) was specifically written for School of the Air and is now used by the following:
- NSW Department of Education (larget education system in the southern hemisphere)
- University of the South Pacific
- Fiji Department of Education
The product is continually refined and improved to meet the needs of all students.It is the innovative nature of the software and how it enables schools to deliver over vast distances and to a large number of students with quality audio and video that make it so valuable to education.
As well as efficient technology, school of the air ensures that all students receivehome visits andstudents join for educational gatherings such as residential trips.
