School of the Air

History

Circa 1929, Alfred Traeger invented the pedal radio which allowed people in remote areas to communicate over long distances, reducing their social isolation. One important use of the technology was to receive medical advice or summon a doctor by contacting the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Educator Adelaide Miethke realised the same technology could be used for by teachers to deliver lessons to students in remote locations, leading to the establishment of Australia's School of the Air.

The first School of the Air lessons were officially delivered from the Royal Flying Doctor Service base in Alice Springs on 8 June 1951.

The service celebrated its 50th jubilee on 9 May 2001, ahead of the real jubilee on 8 June.

School classes were conducted via shortwave radio from 1951 until 2009, after which most schools switched to wireless internet technologies to deliver lessons that include live one-way video feeds and clear two-way audio.

The service celebrated its 70th year on 8 June 2021.

Method

There are School of the Air programmes in all states except Tasmania.

Each student has direct contact with a teacher in an 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.

Originally 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 socialisation 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 is on par with, if not better than, standards set by the traditional methods of schooling.

Each state of Australia that uses this means of education has well-documented checks and overviews of the service.

Honours

In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the School of the Air was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as an iconic "innovation and invention".

Schools of the Air

Schools of the Air operate from:

New South Wales

• Broken HillAustralia – the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air [kit] / photographed by James H. Barr; commentary spoken by Edmund 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.
• Tibooburra

Northern Territory

• Alice Springs
• Katherine

Queensland

• Cairns
• Charleville
• Charters Towers
• Longreach
• Mount Isa
• Brisbane

South Australia

• Port Augusta – now part of Open Access College

Victoria

• Thornbury

Western Australia

• Carnarvon
• Kalgoorlie
• Kimberley region, located in Derby
• Meekatharra
• Port Hedland

References

References

1. Behr, John. "Alfred Hermann Traeger (1895–1980)". National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
2. "Territory Stories: Adelaide Miethke".
3. "Adelaide Laetitia Miethke (1881–1962)". National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
4. (9 June 1951). "World's First School Air Opened.". [[The Advertiser (Adelaide).
5. 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
6. Western Australia. Education Dept & Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. Western Australian Section (1968). In ''The school of the air''. Govt. Pr, [Perth]
7. New South Wales. Dept. of Education. Public Relations Office (1969). In ''School of deine mudda''. Govt. Pr, [Sydney
8. 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
9. (11 February 2003). "New wings for schools of the air". The Age.
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. (2021-06-08). "World's largest classroom turns 70".
15. http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/school-of-the-air {{Webarchive. link. (9 August 2011 ''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.'')
16. 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
17. Calzoni, F (1991). In ''The Australian School of the Air: a conceptual test of its origins, history and recent evolution, with special reference to distance training in Western Australia 1955–1990''. Murdoch University
18. Bligh, Anna. (10 June 2009). "PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS". [[Queensland Government]].
19. 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
20. 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.)
21. "Archived copy".
22. Alice Springs School of the Air (2001). In Alice Springs School of the Air. Alice Springs School of the Air, [Alice Springs, N.T
23. Alice Springs School of the Air (1991). In 40th birthday radio lesson booklet : week ending 8 June 1991. The School, [Alice Springs, N.T.]
24. Katherine School of the Air (1981). In School of the Air, Katherine, Northern Territory of Australia. Katherine School of the Air, Katherine, N.T
25. King, Mark. (1 August 2007). "Australia's school of the air". [[The Guardian]].
26. "Charleville School of Distance Education".
27. "Welcome to the Charters Towers School of Distance Education".
28. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s140221.htm {{Webarchive. link. (31 October 2000 about Longreach)
29. http://www.mtisasde.eq.edu.au// {{Webarchive. link. (12 January 2009 School of the Air – Mount Isa)
30. 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.]
31. 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.
32. "MISOTA".
33. Port Augusta School of the Air (1979). In Information booklet. School of the Air, Port Augusta, [Port Augusta, S. Aust
34. Lloyd, Patricia & Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (2003). In You can't say no. Royal Flying Doctor Service, [Adelaide]
35. 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]
36. "School of the Air, Port Augusta, South Australia (SOTA)". Government of South Australia. Dept for Education.
37. "Distance Education Centre Victoria".
38. 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.]
39. "Kalgoorlie School of the Air".
40. link. (23 March 2012)
41. 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.]
42. Kimberley School of the Air (1990). In Kimberley School of the Air, 1960–1990 : 30th anniversary magazine. The School, [Derby, W.A.?]
43. 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
44. "Welcome to Kimberley School of the Air".
45. Aerial / Meekatharra School of the Air. Also Titled Wisdom by Wireless. Meekatharra, W.A. : The School, 1959-
46. Meekatharra School of the Air (1984). In Wisdom by wireless : twenty five years, 1959–1984. Reads Printing & Pub, [Perth, W.A.]
47. 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
48. 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
49. (2015). "The Leading Edge. Innovation, Technology and People in Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service". University of WA Publishing.