Northern Territory Distance Learning Service

Current Update

The NT Distance Learning Service (NTDLS) Director commenced in September 2006. Andrew Street joins DEET with a wealth of experience as an educator in Western Australia and the United Kingdom.

NTOEC and Katherine School of the Air (KSOA) have commenced planning for KSOA to commence their middle years program with the inclusion of Year 8 students from 2007.

New and replacement Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) equipment is being progressively rolled out to distance education students across the Territory.

New NTDLS

The establishment of the Northern Territory Distance Learning Service (NTDLS) was announced on 24 May 2006 by the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, Hon Syd Stirling.

The new service will improve the quality and effectiveness of distance education and will see improvements in technology and interactive learning, in sourcing and developing teaching and learning materials, and most importantly, in the delivery of service to our students - no matter where they live.

The new $12 million per year NT Distance Learning Service will be ready for the start of the 2007 school year.

Six major changes will occur. The new NT Distance Learning Service will:

1. Bring three schools together – the Alice Springs School of the Air, the Katherine School of the Air, the Northern Territory Open Education Centre – under one framework, allowing each school to retain its own status.
2. Place into remote communities 10 new Regional Learning Agents who will work to provide schools and students with increased distance learning support.
3. Trial a ‘virtual school’ at an urban or regional high school or secondary college to allow specialist teachers to deliver lessons across the Territory, not just in their own school.
4. Trial the extension of education services to the end of Year 9 by the Katherine School of the Air. This will allow remote parents to keep their children at home longer.
5. Provide 60 new computers and replace existing Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) computers to all home based learners.
6. Create a new Distance Learning Materials and ICT Innovation Unit to develop or refine teaching and learning materials tailored for the Territory and relevant to Indigenous students.

Links to Further Information

Consultant's Report

Parents and Students - Your Questions Answered

Staff - Your Questions Answered

Contact

Northern Territory Open Education Centre, Ph 8922 2292, email ntoec@ntoec.nt.edu.au
Alice Springs School of the Air, Ph 8951 6800, email assoa@assoa.nt.edu.au
Katherine School of the Air, Ph 8972 1833, email kath.soa@latis.net.au
Building Better Schools, Ph 1800 722 030, email betterschools@nt.gov.au

This is a Distance Education initiative.