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In 1973 the Australian Government took over responsibility for the education of all pupils in the Northern Territory. Katherine School of the Air took over control of the correspondence program for primary students utilising sets of materials from the South Australian Correspondence School. This change heralded a new era in the education of isolated children. For the first time in the world a dual correspondence and radio program was being offered by the one school.
In 1978 a new school building encompassing teachers areas, two studios, recording facilities and a printery were completed on the banks of the Katherine River. The buildings were subsequently modified to include a video studio and technical repairs facilities and library.
In 1996, a demountable or relocatable classroom (named "White Gum Manor") was located next to the school and used as an additional teaching area due to lack off space in the building. In 1997 the school library was moved next door to Clyde Fenton Primary School to accommodate the increased number of teachers required to teach a growing enrollment. Plans were made by the Department to extend the building. "White Gum Manor" was damaged and removed after the flood in 1998.
LOCATION
Katherine School of the Air is located in the town of Katherine in the
"Top End" of the Northern Territory of Australia, approximately
300 kilometres south east of the city of Darwin. See the 'Katherine
Region' section of the Rivers Cluster website for more information
and links to great websites about Katherine.
The school is surrounded by lush gardens and is situated on Giles Street
(the road to Katherine Gorge) and is approximately three kilometres from
the town's centre.
Geographically Katherine School of the Air covers a huge area (approx.
800 000 square km.). To gain some concept of the area the school covers,
this is more that three times the size of the United Kingdom or New Zealand,
more than twice the size of Japan or 40 times the size of Switzerland.
It extends from the islands off the north coast to the 18 degrees South
parallel. East to West, it extends to the borders of Queensland and Western
Australia. The school also accepts, where appropriate, students interstate
in Western Australia and Queensland under the 'Cross Border Enrolment
Agreement'. In addition to this the school caters for NT residents traveling
overseas and within Australia. Currently the school works with families
as far away as Canada and as close as Indonesia. Families cover the full
socio-economic range. Katherine School of the Air is also a registered
educational provider to overseas fee paying students.
FACILITIES
The school is well resourced and is fully air-conditioned comprising of
five teachers' areas, two radio studios, a staff room with adjacent patio,
a Principal's office, Registrar's office, mail room, printery, a library,
three resource storage rooms, a computer room, a conference room, an interview
room, a technician's workroom and a tourist room. There are two large
sheds in the compound for storage of sports, camping and other miscellaneous
equipment.
The school has a small fleet of around four vehicles at any one time depending
on funding and needs. Most of the vehicles are four wheel drive, to allow
teachers to visit remote clients who live in areas which require a four
wheel drive for access.
CONDITIONS
Katherine School of the Air offers similar conditions to Katherine town
schools. See the Teaching
in the Territory website for more information.
OPPORTUNITIES
Info to come...
Visit
the 'Katherine Region' pages of the Rivers
Cluster site to learn more.
WEBSITE
You can find us on the web at:
http://www.schools.nt.edu.au/ksa
