Alice Springs School of the Air facts for kids
The Alice Springs School of the Air is a special school in Alice Springs, Australia. It teaches children who live in very remote areas of the Northern Territory outback. These children can't go to a regular school because they live too far away. The school sends them learning materials and connects them with teachers and other students using technology.
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How It Started
Alice Springs is right in the middle of Australia. Many people live on large cattle stations or in small, faraway communities. In the early 1900s, it was hard for these people to get medical help or an education.
A church leader named Rev John Flynn wanted to help. He created a "Mantle of Safety" using airplanes, hospitals, and radios. This network of radios later became very important for the School of the Air.
Before the school, children in remote areas learned through lessons sent by mail. This was called "correspondence education."
The Big Idea
In 1944, a school inspector named Adelaide Miethkel visited Alice Springs. She traveled to remote cattle stations and saw how hard it was for families to teach their children by mail. She also noticed that these children didn't have much social contact with others.
Miethkel heard that a nurse gave health talks to women over the Flying Doctor Service radio. She thought, "If a nurse can teach over the radio, a teacher can too!" This idea could help children learn and feel less isolated.
In 1950, she asked John Flynn if they could try out a "School of the Air" using the Flying Doctor Service radio. The trial worked well! The first School of the Air officially opened on June 8, 1951.
Early Days of Learning
When the school first started, there were only three half-hour lessons each week. Students could not talk back to the teacher. Mr. Kissell from the Alice Springs Higher Primary School was the first teacher to lead the broadcasts. Teachers took turns reading special scripts over the radio.
At first, lessons were just broadcast one way. But soon, they added a time for questions and answers at the end of each lesson. The broadcasts started from the Hartley Street School. The signal traveled by phone line to the Flying Doctor Service building, and then by radio to the children in the outback.
Growing and Changing
In 1953, Molly Ferguson became the leader of the broadcasting team. The school moved to a new studio in 1954. This studio had a special area for visitors to watch lessons. Molly became the only teacher that year.
First Get-Together
In 1955, Molly organized the first "get together" for students. Thirty children, aged 5 to 15, met in Alice Springs. This was a big event! Molly was given an award for her work that year.
Margaret Stiller became the new teacher in 1956. She added more radio sessions for older students. The school also started a library, sending books to students by mail. In 1958, Margaret took students on the first school trip to Adelaide.
Teacher Visits
Nancy Barrett became a teacher in 1960. She had the idea to visit all the students at their homes. These trips became known as "patrols." At first, she used her own car. But the visits were so helpful that the government started providing cars and money for future patrols. David Ashton, who joined in 1967, made these patrols even longer, lasting 1-2 weeks, four times a year.
In 1968, the school moved to a new building at the Flying Doctor base. A second teacher, Mrs. Judy Hodder, was hired to teach younger children.
Becoming Independent
The Alice Springs School of the Air became fully independent in 1974. This meant it no longer relied on the South Australian Correspondence School. It became the main correspondence school for Central Australia. All families with students received their own radio equipment. The school also got its own radio frequencies. Teachers started visiting each of their students once a year.
In 1976, teachers began using planes for patrols. By 1991, a quarter of all patrols were done by air. The school moved to its current location on Head Street in Alice Springs in 1977. By 1978, there were 13 teachers and 3 office staff.
New Technology
In 1985, the first "in School" week was held. Students came to Alice Springs for a week of activities. This was so successful that it became an annual event for all classes.
The 1990s brought many technology changes. In 1992, the school tried satellite television and laptops for older students. They also began a major radio upgrade. New technology like quick-mail, new phones, and fax machines were installed in 1993. Computers were made available for students in years 6 and 7. By 1999, internet access, email, and web services were set up for families. Email became very important, especially for older students.
In 2000, the school's own internet system went online. From 2002 to 2005, the school started using "Interactive Distance Learning" (IDL). This used satellite and broadband internet. Slowly, radio lessons were replaced by IDL classes. By 2006, the school used satellite technology for all classes.
Visitor Centre
In 1995, a new part was added to the school building on Head Street. This new area included a visitor center, a bigger space for teachers, and more storage. The new Visitor Centre officially opened in 1996. It gives information about the school and helps raise money for it.
Famous Visitors
- In 1983, Prince Charles and Lady Diana visited the school and spoke to the children over the radio.
- In 1988, Margaret Thatcher visited the school.
- In 2000, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Alice Springs School of the Air.
See Also
