"School of the air" shuts down

Alexander's Horse · November 23, 2003, 21:07

For the last 40 or so years children on remote properties in the Australian outback did their schooling by short wave radio. That service is being replaced, at least in Queensland, this week by phone based lessons due to the march of technology.

Here are some web site links to some of the actual "radio" schools in different parts of the country if anyone is interested - would make a good school project for those with kids who go to regular school.

http://www.assoa.nt.edu.au/

http://www.mtisasde.qld.edu.au/

http://www.schools.nt.edu.au/olsu/ed...our/days/day6/

One of those remarkable adaptions to the "tyranny of distance" now passes into history.

chequita guevara · November 23, 2003, 21:09

Queensland sounds like a nice place to get away from it all. Too bad they're a bunch of racists in Oz.

Alexander's Horse · November 23, 2003, 21:09

I like this story - LOL.

This kid probably lives a 1000 miles from anywhere - with his own fishing hole.

http://www.schools.nt.edu.au/olsu/ed...ays/day6/7.htm

Alexander's Horse · November 23, 2003, 21:21

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Queensland sounds like a nice place to get away from it all. Too bad they're a bunch of racists in Oz.

Yeah that's why we were taking so much trouble to provide education by radio to remote aboriginal communities as per the links on the left side, about half of which are schools for aboriginal communities.

http://www.schools.nt.edu.au/olsu/ed...our/days/day6/

The Andy-Man · November 23, 2003, 21:32

that sounds like a good idea actually. Shame it can't be done all over the commonwealth, would prolly be extra usefull in africa.

Ben Kenobi · November 23, 2003, 21:34

We have correspondence classes in Canada. My dad marks for them since he lives up north.

How does this instruction differ? Attempts to provide live instruction?

Alexander's Horse · November 23, 2003, 23:05

conference calls via satellite is what they are moving to.

:) Smiley · November 24, 2003, 05:09

Why are they making a changeover in the middle of the school year?

Case · November 24, 2003, 05:52

Quote:

Originally posted by

Smiley
Why are they making a changeover in the middle of the school year?

As Australia is in the southern hemisphere our school year starts in early Febuary [ie, the last month of summer] and runs untill mid December [the start of the next summer]

DaShi · November 24, 2003, 06:00

Dammit! When I was a kid, I lived in the Bronx and had to walk to school in South LA everyday (even weekends). Uphill, both ways! Kids these days.

TheStinger · November 24, 2003, 07:43

You'll be replacing the flying doctors next

Provost Harrison · November 24, 2003, 08:05

Quote:

Originally posted by TheStinger
You'll be replacing the flying doctors next

Maybe they can telephone through medical assistance

Yeah, I would have thought that a move to an internet-based system would be quite useful as well, probably in supplement to the present system...

TheStinger · November 24, 2003, 08:19

They might just have to reply on skippy.

What is it boy, granpa's got a punctured lung?

Provost Harrison · November 24, 2003, 08:25

molly bloom · November 24, 2003, 11:20

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Queensland sounds like a nice place to get away from it all. Too bad they're a bunch of racists in Oz.

Tarring us all with the same brush? Queensland is pleasant for a visit, but has lots of nasty biting and stinging beasties. Pauline Hanson being a case in point.

Anyway, the politics of the Howard government and One Nation are not the politics or beliefs of the majority of Australians. The White Australia policy is sooo last century.

The school of the air always fascinated me when I was a young boy at school in Great Britain. I could never imagine living so far away from a school as to require distance learning, having always lived in the inner city. And it was always sunny in the films and photographs.

Alexander's Horse · November 24, 2003, 17:17

Quote:

Originally posted by molly bloom

The school of the air always fascinated me when I was a young boy at school in Great Britain. I could never imagine living so far away from a school as to require distance learning, having always lived in the inner city. And it was always sunny in the films and photographs.

It still fascinates me - that photo of the kid with the fish from a remote billabong sums it up.

peterfharris · November 25, 2003, 00:29

Quote:

Originally posted by molly bloom

............I could never imagine living so far away from a school as to require distance learning, having always lived in the inner city........

I was educated by the Alice Springs School of the Air and by corresponce school for my first 3.5 years of primary school.

In the mornings we would get on the radio to contact Alice Springs, as did the other children from cattle stations in central Australia. We would have lessons over the radio.

The correspondence school was in Adelaide. They would mail my lessons out to our cattle station. My mother taught me for the first three and a half years from the materials the correspondence school sent to us. (We then moved to the city of Adelaide where I went to a school with other children).

molly bloom · November 25, 2003, 05:02

It's funny but it's not until you drive from Melbourne to Ceduna (or a similar interstate trip, let's say...) that you realize how vast and how thinly settled Australia is. It's more difficult to comprehend in Victoria, until you get out to the Little Desert or the Wimmera, but travelling through parts of South Australia was an eerie feeling- kilometres of empty highway (except for the occasional rotting kangaroo or squashed snake) and isolated cattle stations.

I've yet to travel anywhere in the Red Centre, but the contrast with my experiences in Great Britain where I never lived anywhere than in big cities is quite marked. I think in some ways distance is also a state of mind- driving from London to Cornwall or Wales seems mentally like a long distance, but it wouldn't be anything in terms of travelling time in Australia. My respect for country people has grown since I've lived in Australia- the phrase 'the tyranny of distance' actually means something now. My smallest class size when I was in infants or junior school was 30 or 32, so being in a class of one seems quite remarkable, still.

peterfharris · November 25, 2003, 19:36

There was a time, many years ago when I was very young, when I thought Alice Springs was a BIG place.

Well, it is big compared to Tennant Creek. (BTW For people overseas, Alice springs had a population of around 20,000 then and Tennant Creek about 2,000).

Later I lived in Adelaide for many years then moved to Sydney. One day at work I commented on how crowded Sydney is and how crowded the trains are. A girl from London said she thought Sydney was not at all crowded and that there was plenty of room on Sydney trains.

Umh, Molly Bloom, I see your point about perceptions of distances. In the city 100 kilometres is a long way. In the outback it is not so far. Our nearest neighbours, a roadhouse (roadside pub), were 40 kilometres away and the nearest town (Tennant Creek) was nearby at 80 kilometres.

EDIT. Molly, are you on the EU forum perchance?

Alexander's Horse · November 25, 2003, 20:29

why don't you 2 go and get a room.

molly bloom · November 25, 2003, 22:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
why don't you 2 go and get a room.

But that would cast you in the role of Pandarus, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that.

Besides which, if we were to meet half way it would have to be somewhere like Keith, and I've been there. Actually Mt. Gambier would be nicer, especially when the lake changes colour...

In any case, I've just celebrated my nineteenth anniversary, and I know nothing about Peter's inclinations, so any suggestion of extra mural activities would be presumptuous.

And no, Peter I don't post or lurk in the EU forum; why do you ask?

I have however been to Adelaide- I was there during the Biennial in 1998. Very hot and sunny, with a great ary gallery (how odd to see the Eros from Piccadilly) and museum. Had a marvellous meal in the Red Ochre Grill and a very sweet and fattening afternoon tea in one of the large department stores. We stayed between the city centre and Glenelg, just near the tram line. Do you like it, or is it too quiet for you?

chequita guevara · November 25, 2003, 22:31

I refuse to believe you're only 19, MB. You're too smart for a 19-year old.

Skanky Burns · November 25, 2003, 22:48

Quote:

Originally posted by molly bloom
I've just celebrated my nineteenth anniversary

Anniversary, not birthday.

His profile says he was born in 1969 too.

molly bloom · November 25, 2003, 23:07

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I refuse to believe you're only 19, MB. You're too smart for a 19-year old.

Why, Mr. Guevara, charmed I’m sure (flutters eyelashes, swoons....)!

No, I meant anniversary not in the French sense of anniversaire = birthday, but anniversary, as in I’ve been with the same partner for nineteen years. I could hardly say wedding anniversary as we both know that godless sodomitic liberal humanists like me aren’t allowed to get married. However, for the purposes of residence, the Government and D.I.M.A. (the Immigration dept.) recognize gay relationships provided that you can prove that you have been together in a committed relationship and remain in one in Australia. You need joint accounts, bills, photos, friends’ or relatives’ statutory declarations, and so on. It’s not equality, but it is relatively enlightened, so we’ll settle for that.

‘Twas very pleasant- we went out to Viet Namese restaurant in Richmond and had a delicious meal. And a long lie in on Sunday- I made omelettes aux fines herbes and we had grilled Turkish bread and fresh figs and Greek yoghurt, and some delicious East Timorese free trade coffee. I’d recommend partaking of it, if you can find some...

chequita guevara · November 25, 2003, 23:19

Oh, well, congrats!

monolith94 · November 26, 2003, 01:06

"I refuse to believe you're only 19, MB. You're too smart for a 19-year old."

*raises eyebrow(

It's people like you wot cause unrest!

peterfharris · November 26, 2003, 01:20

Quote:

Originally posted by molly bloom

............
And no, Peter I don't post or lurk in the EU forum; why do you ask?

.........

IIRC correctly there is someone at the EU forum using the name Molly bloom.

BTW Pay no attention to that suggestion of getting a room. I have no "inclinations".

Alexander's Horse · November 26, 2003, 02:10

sorry, I was on autopost