Charleville School of Distance Education

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Posted 2022-10-24 by Susan J Bowes ⇒ follow

On a recent trip to Charleville , I was very impressed by a visit to the School of Distance Education , which is located in the same grounds of the Charleville State High School yet has its own school rooms, library and activities areas. On arrival I met with Jenny, who would be my informative guide while there.

The School of the Air commenced in 1950 by Adelaide Miethke , whose idea was to use the Royal Flying Doctor Radio network to broadcast lessons to children in outback areas. A lot has changed in delivering classes on air these days, compared to my memory of many television programmes in the fifties and sixties depicting children talking via radio networks. These days, communication is much more sophisticated with the invention of modern technology and the ability to be online with the teacher and other students.

Jenny gave an overview of the School and took me on a small excursion through a comprehensive library, while explaining the benefits the children from distant properties have by being part of this education system.

Education here is not only given to students on outlying stations; education can be provided for students of circus performers, children of parents who tour with Country Shows who would not be able to attend a regular school, students whose parents are travelling, students whose parents are working abroad and do not have access to the Australian curriculum , or perhaps students whose parents are taking them on an around Australia trip and will be educating them along the way. Each student must have a Home Tutor, and this could be either the Mother or a Governess.

The School provides the education years from Preparatory to Year 10; after that time students move to larger cities such as Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane for boarding school, or enjoy distance education to complete years 11 and 12, before going to Universities and Colleges. Unfortunately, many do not return to the Country as the City holds greater opportunities.

Lessons on the On-Air programme attendance is encouraged, and parents must ensure that their child attends all lessons or if unwell, parents or home tutors must notify the teacher that the child will not attend. Teachers give feedback on the students' progress informally to parents on a regular basis, either by, telephone, online or face-to-face through digital media.

The Australian Curriculum is taught with subjects including English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Technologies, The Arts, Health & PE, Languages other than English and Pastoral Care Go 2" sessions. Classes are much smaller than regular classrooms and have a more suitable teacher / student ratio for learning. I was fortunate to sit in a class of Grade 9 Students while listening to the students and teacher interact. It was a history lesson about World War I and I found it quite fascinating as I too, was learning information that I cannot remember learning when I was in Grade 9. There were seven students online that day.

Around four times a year, students and their family members come to Charleville for extra-curricular activities. These include Swim Muster, Whole School Muster, Sports Muster, Camp, and Cluster Musters. While the children are taking part in these activities, the home tutors are also being provided with learning sessions, such as mental health issues, health and safety, how to aid their children with learning difficulties etc. On a personal note, these sessions benefit Home Tutors as they can go for months on end never seeing other women and if they are new to the programme, these events enable them to get to know others and form friendships.

More explanation on these field events are as follows.Kick-start ConferenceJust as the title suggests, early in Term 1, home tutors and students are invited to Charleville for a week of intense workshops, which focus on learning and skill development. Home tutors are mostly mothers but can also be Governesses and this event gives them the opportunity to network and develop skills around the curriculum subjects as they will be assisting with the teaching at home. During this time, the students have an opportunity to participate in activities that would not be able to do at home. These include sessions with professional coaches, artists and inspirational speakers.

MiniSchoolsThis event is held in Terms 1 and 4 of each year and allows both the primary students and teachers to work together as they would at a mainstream school. The sessions are held over a four-day period and include Prep to Year 6. This is an extremely valuable time for students to interact in a social situation, while also discussing expectations for the year.

Home Visits

This is a service offered by the School where class teachers and the Parent Liaison Officer can visit the properties on a need's basis. On these visits, students have the opportunity of showing the teacher their classroom at home and show them what it is like living on their property.

Cluster MustersStudents are invited to attend one Cluster Muster day each term 2 and 3 where activities focus on building social skills, exploring arts, and health and physical education curriculums. During this time the parents and home tutors attend sessions with the Leadership Team and Parent Liaison Officer. This Muster event is held in small towns across the catchment.

Speech and Awards DayI remember these events vividly in my school years as they were a celebration of success and achievement. The School conducts this event in Charleville where academic, sporting and community achievements of the students are recognised. As an addition, students in Years 6 and 10 have a formal celebration dinner with family and teaching staff.

School CampsSchool Camps are held for students in Years 4 to 10 and vary in duration and location each year. A number of parents also attend and fill in the role of camp parents. This is a good time for both students and teachers to have a week of fun, learning and life skills, while also getting to know each other better, which ultimately means they will work more effectively together.Other extracurricular activities throughout the year could include Technology, Choir, Girl Guides, Recorder, Readers Club and a Japanese Club. These activities vary depending on the interests of the students.

Annual Sports MusterNot everyone is sporty, but those who are, enjoy this active time together displaying his or her sportsmanship in track and field events. Students are divided into two sporting houses - Narungi and Kanyanna.

Tours are conducted every week of the school term with the exception of the school field events. Cost is $5.00 per adult and children are free. It is best to ring the office on 07 4656 8999 for bookings. Large group bookings are available; however, prior notice is definitely required.